Silent Hill: Eternal Nightmare
by Ravenclaw992
Summary: It has been a year since that awful dream. When Katy moves into a new apartment, she ends up in a new nightmare. Now, she'll have to sacrifice her sanity and face those horrors of Silent Hill again. But this time, she's not the only one. Sequel; R&R!
1. Nathan's Nightmare

**Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill 4 The Room. Konami and Team Silent own it. I only own the characters of Katy and Nathan. **

**A/N: Here it is! The sequel to my Silent Hill: Eternal Hell story. (If you haven't read that one yet, you might want to check it out first). It took me a while to figure out how I really wanted to do it. Let's hope it all goes well. **

**Silent Hill: Eternal Nightmare**

**Chapter One: Nathan's Nightmare**

_Not another nightmare,_ Nathan Avery inwardly groaned as he took his first hesitant steps outside the confines of his bedroom. His vision was fuzzy, as if he were trapped inside an ancient, grainy photograph. Stretching out a hand in front of him, he noticed it became increasingly blurry the further it was from his face. _How much did I drink last night? _

Truth be told, he had very little memory of the party. It had been a kind of celebration party for moving into his new apartment. Of course, there were the drinking games, the beer, and all the works. The rest was out of reach, blinded by the numbing effects of too much alcohol.

The hallway was dim, but not so much that he couldn't see the thick grime covering the once white wallpaper. Swiping a hand across the wall, his skin touched the wet, warm gunk that oozed towards the carpeted floors. His hand came away slick with a sickening shade of red. His stomach plummeted as he desperately wiped the stuff on the leg of his jeans. _It's blood…blood covering the walls…now I know I'm dreaming,_ he thought as his bare feet stumbled across the floor, leading him into the area that joined together the kitchen and the living room.

_This is not my apartment,_ he realized as he anxiously gazed around in confusion. Nothing about it was familiar at all; not the living room, not the white tiled kitchen, nothing. Where was he? Blood drenched every inch, making it look like he'd stepped straight into a slasher film.

A steady buzzing filled his ears. It was low at first, barely noticeable. Then it grew slightly until he realized it was coming from somewhere on his right. Cautiously, he moved into the living room to find the small black television switched on, permitting nothing but a screen of gray static. Quickly, Nathan jabbed at the power button and the apartment fell eerily silent. _The calm before the storm, perhaps? _

Turning away, Nathan only managed a few steps towards the front door—the heavily _chained_ front door—before the buzzing noise returned with a vengeance. A chill skittered down Nathan's back as he slowly faced the television once more, the light from the television dancing over the furniture like a slithery ghost. _What the hell is this? The Ring? _

Without warning, the buzzing increased in intensity and became harder to ignore. It was like someone was turning up the volume of the television, though the remote remained still and lifeless on the coffee table.

The buzzing rushed through Nathan's ears until it transformed into an unbearable screeching. It pounded through his brain, forcing Nathan to shield his ears with his hands. Maybe his brain would explode and add more blood to the garish layers already splattered across the room. _Too much…please…make it stop!_

"Nathan," a raspy voice whispered to him. Though the buzzing filled the air, he heard the word perfectly, as if it had rustled across his mind instead, wrapping around his aching brain. _Turn around…_

He was not alone. Someone was standing close behind him, almost directly to the point where he should have been able to sense another being's presence there.

Spinning around, Nathan inevitably met the empty, soulless eyes of a man with shaggy blonde hair, a gray overcoat, and a merciless smile plastered on his pale face. The man was somehow familiar…and then, like a flashbulb lighting his brain, Nathan knew where he had seen this man before. _No…that's impossible…_

The man raised a knife in his hand, the sharp edge of the blade glinting in the few patches of light that scattered the room. Forgetting the intolerable buzzing, Nathan lifted his hands to protect his face as the man wildly swung the weapon. Nathan ducked and retreated while his mind melted from the noise, his eyes never leaving his crazed attacker.

Nathan's legs collided into something hard behind him and then he was falling backwards into open air. His arms whirled as he tried to grab something—_anything_—to keep from falling. Stiffly, his back landed against the surface of the coffee table, the remote toppling to the floor. The fall had been his fatal mistake; the man leaned over him, grinning madly with victory and plunged the knife down into Nathan's throat.

_Nooo! It isn't real…it's just a dream,_ Nathan hopelessly tried to convince himself as he felt the warm sensation of his own blood pooling into his shirt and dripping over his skin. His fingers scrabbled at his throat, as if they could prevent any more blood from spilling. The life was leaving him and his hands clenched tightly, as though to grasp it, to keep it from escaping him. _No…_

The last thing he remembered was the man's face, his mouth open in cruel, endless laughter. The cold hand of Death took Nathan then, but not before he could recall the man's name in his dying mind.

_Walter…_

…

**I thought I'd stop there for the first chapter. Don't worry; Katy will be joining us soon. Basically, my plan is to have Nathan here replace Henry (I figured that would be more interesting with two outsiders). Of course, you can guess who Katy will be playing this time around (though I am sure she will not be as slow…or annoying…as Eileen. Miss I-Have-A-Broken-Arm-and-Can't-Climb-Ladders!). **

**Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this story as much as you did the last one. If you have any suggestions or things you might want to see in this story, let me know. (= **


	2. The Room

**Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill 4: The Room. Everything belongs to Konami and Team Silent. The only thing I own is Katy and Nathan. **

**A/N: Time for chapter two! Again, hope you guys enjoy the story. I have a lot of ideas brewing in my mind. (=**

Chapter Two: The Room

_It's just a dream…not real…just a nightmare, _Nathan chanted in his head as he tossed and turned restlessly. His eyes shot open, only to witness the stained, cracked ceiling of his apartment. Awake, his body lurched up in his bed, a sheen of sweat coating his skin. His heart was pounding in his chest, threatening to jump out at any given moment.

"What a nightmare…" Nathan sighed deeply while adjusting to the shadows of his room and combed a hand through his brown hair. It was a shabby room, but one he could easily afford. His eyes scanned it now, even so much as wandering to the open closet. _Oh, for God's sake. There isn't any boogeyman in my closet…_

_It's raining again,_ he thought bitterly as he slid his body to the edge of the bed and gazed out at the gray scenery below. Tiny dots of people were rushing around the streets, each one holding an umbrella over their head. Moaning, Nathan stretched and rose to his feet.

The nightmare had been similar to a series of other nightmares he'd experienced over the past week, ever since first moving into his new apartment. Each one started out differently, but ended pretty much the same way; with Nathan's gruesome death. Even so, it was the first time he'd been able to catch a real glimpse of his killer. _Of all the people…it had to be a character from an old video game. What reason had he been there?_

Briefly, Nathan wondered what time it was. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he realized it would be his first day working at the small grocery store down the street. It didn't necessarily pay that well, but at least it was a job. _Boy, why did I drink so much? _

Fumbling against the wall, he made his way down the hallway and into the kitchen, stifling a yawn the whole way. Then, he stopped dead.

_What...the...hell?_ The intention of entering the kitchen was temporarily forgotten as his eyes stared around his apartment. Or rather, _the_ apartment. His mouth fell open. _Is this...is this some kind of sick joke?_

It was the same apartment from his dreams, although he was certain he wasn't dreaming now. There was the black television, except it was completely silent. There was the plain furniture and the coffee table that had led to Nathan's latest demise. There was the front door…

The apartment door was bolted shut with heavy, thick chains. The chains were criss-crossed over the door and no matter how much Nathan pulled, the chains would not part with the walls. A barely readable message was etched into the door, right under the peephole. _Don't go out!-Walter..._

A chill ran down Nathan's spine as he re-read the message a hundred times. Paranoid, he eyed the apartment, as if Walter were likely to appear like he had in the dream.

It must have only been a year ago that he held that controller in his hands and played that Silent Hill game. He was pretty sure it was now boxed away on one of his shelves, gathering dust, along with the PS2. _Walter..._

Unexpectedly, a laugh bubbled inside Nathan's throat. This had to be a joke. Sure, it was close to Halloween. That was all it was—a friend's horrible idea of a joke. He had passed out last night-they must have decided to play an early Halloween prank. His laughter echoed off the walls and felt...wrong. A single thought surfaced in his mind, one even he could not explain away. _If this is a joke, then how did the person manage to lock me inside? _

Nathan's laughter died away as he realized this. There was no way someone could attach those chains and still get out of the apartment. The room was on the third floor, probably too high for someone to climb out the window. _What if they're still in here? _

Discomfort wrapped around Nathan like a second skin, practically smothering him. Taking slow steps to the kitchen, he opened a drawer and retrieved a stainless steel knife. Just holding it made him feel a little more confident. _Come out, whoever you are! _

Nathan shoved open every door in the apartment and searched through every room. There was no one in the living room and nobody in the laundry room. The bathroom was empty; the sink was clean, the walls bare, and the only reflection in the mirror was his own. _What was I expecting? Michael Myers?_

Lowering the knife, Nathan retreated to the kitchen and returned the knife to its proper home. He wondered whether his new boss would buy his excuse that he was locked inside his own apartment. _So much for good first impressions..._

A faint knocking sounded at the door and Nathan's head shot up. His throat grew tight as he conjured the most insane possibilities, starting with Walter. _No, that's crazy! Walter isn't real. What the hell am I thinking? It's probably just the super__-__intendant, which means..._

"Help! Help me," Nathan dashed to the door and banged his fists against it. "I'm stuck in here! Help me, please," he called, but there was no answer.

Positioning his eye in front of the viewer, he got a narrow glimpse of the hallway. It was completely empty. Not a single person came into view. Even so, Nathan's eye remained there longer than it should have. _This can't be happening…_

There were 15 bloody handprints on the wall across from his room.

…..

**Oh, boy. Looks like Nathan is already in trouble. What will happen next? **

**I promise Katy will show up in the next chapter. Be patient, everyone! **


	3. 302

**Disclaimer: Nothing in this story belongs to me, except Katy and Nathan. **

**A/N: Time for Katy to come into the story! Also, sorry for not including Henry. I hope there's not too much disappointment. I simply thought two might be better than one and might offer many more options. Trust me; it'll get better soon! **

**Chapter Three: 302**

_What a nightmare, _I thought as I lugged the last load of boxes up to the third floor of the apartment building and proceeded to drop them in front of my door. My mother graciously offered me a ride, but she couldn't help me with the boxes, could she? Today was the day I was moving into my new apartment and already I was regretting it. _Stupid boxes…stupid key…where did it go? _

"There you are," I muttered as I pulled the small key out of my pocket. Inserting it into the lock, I swung the door open and kicked the boxes inside before slamming the door again. Piles of other boxes were scattered across the living room floor, but I really didn't feel like unpacking just yet.

My eyes scanned the room and I breathed out a long, tired breath. It wasn't the best apartment ever, but it would do. As long as there was running water…

My feet carried me to the bathroom, which was the precise size of a closet. Once inside, I closed the door and leaned over the sink. I flicked the handle for hot water and splashed some on my face. _Nice to know that the hot water is actually ice cold,_ I thought bitterly. _Good going on the apartment, Katy,_ I chastised myself.

My eyes met the ones reflected in the mirror, but the person staring back at me wasn't really me. At least, it wasn't the girl I had known a year before. After that nightmare, I had tried to change everything that would remind me of it. My once blonde hair was now a muddy brown and I had been working to grow it out a little. Instead of cropped short, it now hung just below my shoulders.

That hadn't been the only change. For own thing, I detested any kind of red pill, even if it was necessary for an illness. Just looking at one reminded me of that horrible event and I could swear I felt that horrid tugging deep down inside me. Constantly I recalled bits of the dream—if it had even been a dream. Had it been inside my head? Had any of it been real at all? _Douglas…Alessa…Claudia…Vincent…_

Carefully, I reached into one of my pockets and removed a small slip of paper. It was creased from being re-read many times over the past year. I didn't even have to glance down at the words to know what they said. _The fear of blood tends to create fear for the flesh…_

It was my only proof that the dream might have been more than a dream. To this day, I still had no idea who wrote it; the handwriting did not belong to me. _What am I doing? I should just forget about the whole thing. It wasn't real. None of it,_ I thought as I shoved the paper into my pocket. A moment later, I changed my mind and threw it into the trash instead. _It was just a dream, Katy. It's time to move on._

…

An hour and a half later, I had reluctantly unpacked every last box and stored my objects around the apartment. Still, it felt foreign and strange to be living there. _Some fresh air, that's what I need,_ I realized. Double checking that I had my key, I ducked out of my apartment and stopped suddenly.

Down the hall, there was only one other room, though I had yet to meet the owner. The super-intendant—an aged, white-haired old man that relied on a brown cane—was knocking on the door. A puzzled expression was visible on his face and there was no answer at the door. The man caught me staring and motioned to the apartment door.

"Hey, you met this guy yet?" The old man's voice cracked and shook as he spoke. His hand gripped his cane and I could see that it was shaking terribly.

"No, not yet. Why?" Part of me figured the owner was someone reserved; I had bumped into almost every other resident here except him. Was he some kind of criminal or something? Was the super-intendant looking to throw the guy out? _Might be amusing, _I thought with more interest than I had for a long time.

"This, uh…can't remember 'is name. Haven't seen 'im for a while. No answer or nothin'," the man explained, peering into the eyehole in the door. His knuckles rapped the door again, but no one responded. Slowly, I sauntered over and eyed the door. On it was an old plate that read "Room 302," just like every other apartment in the building.

"Maybe…maybe he went on vacation or something," I suggested, shrugging. Why did the super-intendant care so much? People went away all the time without notice. Somehow, my eyes could not leave the room's number. _Room 302…Room 302…_

"Nah, that's not it. I, uh…I'm always watchin' the lobby. Never saw 'im leave, I didn't," the super shook his head miserably. Taking out a handkerchief, the man coughed hard into it, making his whole body jerk with spasms. When he was done, he took a long look at the door and then gave up, limping down the hallway. "These kids, I tell ya…always into some trouble or other," he muttered under his breath.

Slowly, I approached the door and peered into the hole. It was impossible to see anything inside. Frowning, I tried knocking just as the super had, but there was no answer.

"Hello? Is anyone in there? Can you hear me?" Silence. All I could hear was my own breathing. The room number filled my vision and a small icy chill went down my back. _Room 302…Room 302…it's the same number…it must mean…_

"No, it doesn't mean anything. It's just a coincidence. I have to forget about it," I mumbled. It had to be a coincidence. The town was named Springfield, not South Ashfield. It wasn't named Silent Hill, either. _What am I thinking? The guy probably left for a few days. No reason to panic or anything…_

Part of me wasn't entirely sure. For a long minute, I stared at the door as if I thought the owner might open it. Maybe it'd be better if he did, even if he yelled at me for staring. At least I'd know who he was and if he was there. _The super said he'd never left...This isn't South Ashfield and there is nothing wrong, Katy!_

Lowering my eyes from the door, I walked away without looking back. There was plenty I had to do yet, including stopping at the store for food. If I was lucky, it would help to take my mind off the mysterious owner of Room 302. Somehow, though, I seriously doubted it.


	4. Alone

**Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill 4 or anything related to it. I own my OCs, Katy and Nathan. **

**A/N: Hey, readers! Lots of ideas bubbling in my head, so here is the next chapter. Enjoy! **

**Chapter Four: Alone**

_15 handprints...15 victims..._

Through the viewer, Nathan witnessed an old man, probably the super, come into view. The man started knocking and gazed towards the viewer. Nathan's breath caught in his throat. _Please hear me. Please help me. _

"Help! Can you hear me? I'm in here!" Nathan slammed his palms against the door, trying helplessly to reach out to the old man. Did he hear him? Did he know there was someone right behind this door?

The man frowned and shook his head pitifully. He mumbled something under his breath, but Nathan couldn't catch what it was. _He can't hear me. He'll never hear me, _Nathan thought, then shook it away. That was ridiculous. _Someone _had to hear him.

Just then, a young woman appeared beside the super. Her lips were moving and then Nathan heard her voice, though it was like trying to listen through an earful of water.

"Maybe…maybe he went on vacation or something," the girl suggested. Nathan watched her face grow grim. What was she thinking? Something was bothering her, he was sure of it. For one thing, she couldn't stop staring at the door. Her gaze wasn't directed at him, exactly; it was something below the peephole.

"Hello! Please help me! Somebody!" Nathan yelled at the top of his lungs, but their expressions gave no sign that they'd heard so much as a whisper. The super shook his head again and walked away, leaving the girl behind. She continued to stare at the door, lines furrowing her brow with worry. _Why can't you hear me? _

As he watched, the girl came close to the door and knocked lightly. Nathan pounded on the door, but she obviously didn't notice. The girl attempted to glance through the peephole, and then backed away.

"Hello? Is anyone in there? Can you hear me?"

"I can hear you! Help," he answered, but nothing happened. The girl frowned deeply, her brown hair falling over her face as her eyes dropped to the same spot as before. What was she staring at, if not at him?

"No, it doesn't mean anything. It's just a coincidence. I have to forget about it," she mumbled and Nathan suddenly became puzzled. What was the girl talking about? What did she mean?

The girl gazed almost longingly for a moment and then turned away. Out of sight she went and Nathan suddenly wished he could call out to her.

"No! Come back!" It was no use; the girl was gone and there was nothing anyone could do to help him. _Please don't leave me, _he wanted to beg her. Quiet descended over the apartment building and Nathan finally had to accept that he was completely alone.

...

_Come on, stupid windows….open!_ Nathan had tried almost everything he could think of to escape the apartment. He had attempted to rip the chains from the door, but that didn't work, especially since the chains refused to budge. He had banged his fists against the wall in case a neighbor could hear him. Now, his fingers clenched the windowpane desperately as he struggled to lift it. _The stupid thing's stuck,_ he realized as he quit trying.

It was exactly like that Silent Hill game. How could it be? What kind of joke was this? Was he still dreaming?

"There has to be a way out," he spoke aloud, pondering what he could possibly do. Ram the door? Blast music so that the super would come? Would he even hear that? "What am I supposed to do?"

_Booooom…_A sudden, deafening noise came from down the hallway. Nathan froze where he stood and considered grabbing the knife again. Instead, he crept down the hall and listened for any sign of a disturbance. Everything was silent, just as before.

Déjà vu invaded his mind as he recalled the game, all the while approaching the bathroom door. _Please let me be wrong,_ he sent up a prayer, though he was sure it went unheard, just like his shouting. His fingers found the doorknob and he gently turned it, wanting nothing more than to leave it closed forever.

Nathan's worst suspicions were confirmed as he peeked into the bathroom. The mirror was where it should be, the bathtub was clean and the curtain exactly as he had left it. His eyes, however, had found the one wrong thing in the room almost immediately.

There, on the wall beside the mirror, was a gaping hole where no hole should ever be. It was large and round, with a steel pipe stuck inside it. As Nathan neared it, he could feel a cool draft coming from inside it.

Wrapping his fingers around the pipe, he wrenched it free. It felt cold and heavy in his hands, though he hoped he would not have to use it for defense. _This is silly. I'm dreaming, that's all. I'm going to be killed and wake up in my own bed, just like every other night. Right?_

Nathan stared at the hole and then glanced back at the bathroom door. Should he simply ignore it? Or take the risk of climbing into it? What dangers lay beyond it? _Only one way to find out,_ he thought as he slid into the hole, leaving his apartment far behind.

...

**And so starts the real nightmare...though I think I'll wait a little to drag Katy into this nightmare again (at least, where she meets Nathan). I have plenty of surprises up my sleeve; don't worry! **

**Until next time, readers!**


	5. Cynthia

**Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill 4. The only characters I own are Katy and Nathan. **

**A/N: Thank you everyone who reviewed. Also, I want to thank Crown of Gold for the suggestion; I think I am going to try putting Nathan's POV in first person to see if it works better. **

**Enjoy the next chapter, everyone! **

**Chapter Five: Cynthia**

The hole was incredibly narrow, forcing me to inch slowly forward with my elbows. The further I crawled, the darker it became and the more I felt there was no return to the quietness of the apartment.

Muffled sounds were coming from somewhere up ahead. Was that the sound of a train? There-a woman's voice, though it was hard to make out what she was saying. _Maybe it's that girl...maybe I'm not the only one,_ I thought with a wave of hope.

"Hello? Who's there?" Silence came to me from the darkness ahead and the woman's voice faded away like it was being carried by a swift wind. Urgently, I inched forward as a shallow light revealed the hole's opening.

Out I tumbled onto the cement, but I wasn't anywhere I really wanted to be. In front of me was an escalator, its steps moving downward towards a lower level. Denial sparked in my mind as I began to recognize my surroundings. _The subway...this is insane! This must be a bad dream! I am not in a Silent Hill game._

As I descended on the escalator-it was the only direction I could take—I noticed a shadowy figure loom into view in the distance. It was definitely a woman and I practically heard her name come across my lips. _Cynthia..._

Cautiously, I stepped closer to her until she heard my footsteps and turned. It was like I had been punched in the gut; it was her. The silky dark hair piled on her head, the tanned skin, the low-cut top and short skirt...it was Cynthia.

"This cannot be happening to me," I groaned, swiping a hand across my face. Why did I ever decide to go into the hole? Didn't a part of me know what might be coming next? _That's the last time I doubt my intuition. Maybe then I'll quit making stupid choices._

Cynthia had heard my words; I clearly saw her sultry eyes narrow slightly and gaze at me curiously. If I hadn't already known who she was, I might have thought she was pretty, might have wanted to get to know her. At this rate, I only wanted to be away from her and the horrors she would most likely face. _And she doesn't even know..._

"Who are you? I haven't seen you around before," Cynthia asked, placing her hands on her hips. Hesitantly, I glanced towards the escalator with longing. If I crawled back through that hole, could I just forget about this whole delusion? _Yes, that's what this is. A delusion from the alcohol. It's not real. She's not real,_ I thought.

"Nathan. And you're Cynthia," I automatically shot back before she opened her mouth to introduce herself. A thin smile lifted on her lips and she flicked her long nails in my direction a couple of times.

"Right. This is my dream, so of course you should know my name," Cynthia replied, shrugging. "I hope I wake up soon." This she nearly whispered more to herself than to me. I sighed and figured that, since this was a dream, I might as well go along with it.

"Yeah. So do I." Cynthia's eyes darted around wildly before returning to my face. Her calm mask had been temporarily broken by fear.

"Will you help me find the exit? I'll do a...special favor for you later," she promised, lightly dragging her nails along the skin of my jaw. Annoyed, I grabbed her hand and dropped it at her side.

"Something tells me you won't," I said. Cynthia obviously thought I was calling her bluff. What I meant, but didn't say, were the words _'because you'll be dead.'_ Oh, well. It was her dream; let her think what she wanted.

"Well, if this is my dream, I might as well have some fun," Cynthia retorted, grinning and showing off a row of perfect white teeth. She scampered off ahead of me, her nails sliding across the wall as she walked. Truthfully, I wanted anything but to follow her...but what choice did I have? Could I really walk away knowing what was to become of her?

_Something tells me we won't be having that much fun,_ I thought as I gave up fighting the dream and followed Cynthia into the deep shadows.

...

"So, what are you doing in _my_ dream?" Cynthia gave me a sidelong glance as we walked along the corridor. If she noticed the steel pipe clenched in my hands, she didn't say anything. I shrugged. _Good question…_

"How the hell should I know? I'm just as confused as you," I assured her. Up ahead, there were two separate doors leading into the restrooms. Out of the corner of my eye, I studied Cynthia. She certainly seemed fine, not sick at all. Then again..._three, two, one..._

"Wait a minute," Cynthia suddenly halted and grabbed onto my arm for support. Bending over at the waist, she dry-heaved a few times and clamped a hand over her mouth. "I think...I think I'm going to...to puke," she choked out before vanishing through the women's restroom door. _There she goes,_ I thought, shaking my head.

Instead of waiting for her, I ventured into the men's restroom. Stopping in front of the sink, I ran some cold water over my face in case I might wake up. _Nothing better to do on a Monday than get stuck in my worst nightmare..._

Behind me, there was a slight creaking noise as one of the stall doors eased open. My eyes watched it in the mirror as it stopped moving. Was someone there?

My answer came in the form of a deep growl. Spinning around, I noticed a bloody paw emerging from the open stall. The predator revealed itself, its long sliced tongue dangling back and forth. Its red eyes followed my every movement. _Good monster...no need to bite,_ I thought as he slowly inched toward the door.

I only took a single step in that direction before the animal lunged, fangs bared dangerously, aimed straight for my throat.

…..


	6. Trapped

**Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill 4, only my OCs: Nathan and Katy.**

**A/N: Hello, everyone! Here's the next chapter for you all. Nathan's nightmare continues...but will Cynthia stay alive? Enjoy reading! **

**Chapter Six: Trapped**

The animal lunged in the blink of an eye and, in a moment, I knew I would feel its hot breath on my neck. Raising the steel pipe to the same level as the monster, I waited until the thing was close, and then swung the pipe into its side as though I were playing a game of baseball. There was the crunch of bones and the figure gave out an almost human scream as it fell to the bathroom floor.

Realizing my chance, I ran for the bathroom door. Already, I could hear the deep growl of the predator behind me. The hallway was empty, but I didn't pause even for an instant. Instead, I ducked into the girl's bathroom in search of Cynthia.

The sound of padding footsteps came from outside and I held my breath, waiting. Carefully, I inched the door open and caught the sight of the monster, scouring the hall for me. Its eyes scanned up and down and-figuring that I had run-made its way down the hall and out of sight. _That was close,_ I thought as I shut the door.

"Cynthia? Are you in here?" I called out, but received only silence. Where else would she be? How How could someone disappear in a bathroom? "Cynthia?"

There were only three stalls; I quietly approached them with my steel pipe ready, just in case. Each stall had its door firmly closed. Gently, I knocked on the nearest one and listened, but there was no answer. In the back of my mind, I recalled that it was never good to knock on a bathroom door in Silent Hill.

Only the third door gave way as I pressed my palm to it. Slowly, it creaked open and I reaffirmed my grip on the steel pipe. What I found inside wasn't so much dangerous as it was foreboding.

A full-size mannequin, fashioned to look exactly like Cynthia, was placed on the lid of the toilet. Its pale eyes were directed on me and the mouth was wide open in a silent scream. _Cynthia is gone, _I thought as I stared sullenly at the mannequin. _I should have waited outside...I shouldn't have left her alone,_ I found I was blaming myself for her disappearance.

My fingers gingerly touched the mannequin's cold, stone hand. Clasped inside it was a handful of small coins for the train line. _I'll find her. I won't let Cynthia die,_ I vowed as I pocketed the coins, my eyes never leaving the fake Cynthia. _I will find her. _

Stepping out of the bathroom, I saw that the hall was still deserted. Briefly, I wondered where that monster went. _As long as it doesn't come after me again, I really don't care..._

Swiftly, I made my way deeper into the subway until I emerged in the main area. The turnstiles gleamed in the light and the offices had their blinds closed over the windows. There was not a single breath to be heard except for my own.

Gripping the steel pipe, I creeped over to the Lynch Street line and searched my pocket for one of the coins. Inserting it, I pushed through to the other side and gazed at the shadows that awaited below. _I have to go through with this. I have to do it for Cynthia,_ I realized. _No turning back now..._

And so I descended into the shadows, ready to face whatever challenge came my way.

...

The deepest level of the subway reminded me of the subway from Silent Hill 3. _Not a comforting thought, Nathan,_ I scolded myself as I sank into the shadows. My eyes adjusted to the lack of light and then I noticed a train on the tracks, stopped in place. Trapped in one of the cars was Cynthia, her eyes so wide I could see the whites and her fists crashing desperately into the door.

"Nathan! Get me out of here! Somebody's coming," she cried out as she glanced over her shoulder at something I couldn't see. Hastily, I reached the doors and tried to pry them open with the steel pipe. It was no use; the pipe was too thick to make any real progress.

"Stand back," I ordered her, motioning for her to move backwards. Hesitantly, she checked over her shoulder once more and then nodded. With full force, I smashed the car window with the steel pipe, the shards crumbling down like a waterfall. Reaching my hand inside, I fumbled for a lock or a lever, anything that might cause the doors to unlock. There was nothing there and the doors refused to budge.

"It's too small to climb through," Cynthia pointed out, as though she could see the wheels turning in my head. Whatever was coming was really starting to give her the chills, for she kept staring at something through the other window. "Hurry, Nathan," she urged me.

_There has to be something...a button, anything. A button..._I wracked my brain as I recalled a piece of the game.

"I'll be right back," I promised Cynthia before sprinting alongside the train. A booming sound came from Cynthia's car and I assumed it was her banging her fists again.

"Nathan! Don't leave me here," she shrieked. The button was located in the conductor's cabin. It only took me a moment to reach the end of the train and slam my hand on it. Still, every second counted, especially for Cynthia.

When I returned to Cynthia's section of the train, I could see that the doors had slid open. Cynthia was standing as far from the train as she could, looking more than a little shaken up.

"Let's get out of here," I said, grabbing ahold of her arm. I started for the stairs leading to the upper level, but Cynthia dug her heels in.

"Wait. There might be an exit this way. There sure isn't one up there," Cynthia stated, crossing her arms in defiance.

"I thought you said somebody was coming," I reminded her, gesturing to the train. Cynthia gazed back at it as if she had just noticed it, as if she hadn't just begged to get away from it. Then, she shook her head.

"Whoever it was, they seem to be gone now. Maybe it was my imagination," she suggested, though I didn't believe it. What if it had been one of the ghosts?

"Cynthia, it's not safe down here. For either one of us," I explained, fully intending to drag her upstairs if I had to. Up there, we could think of a plan and avoid danger a little better. Down here-in the darkness-who knew what could be crawling around?

"How do you know unless you try?" Cynthia gave me one of her wide-eyed innocent looks, but I wasn't buying it. A million concerns raced through my mind. What if Cynthia and I got separated? What if I failed to keep her alive? Even so, it wasn't that much of a promise if I couldn't find an exit.

"Will you promise to stay beside me at all times?" I gripped Cynthia's arm tightly and forced her to look directly at me. Cynthia offered me one of her cool, dazzling smiles as she lightly removed my hand.

"Promise. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you care for me," she teased. _Yeah, sure,_ I thought emotionlessly. I only cared enough to keep her from facing a horrible end.


	7. Ghosts

**Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill 4, though Katy and Nathan belong to me. **

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews! I'm planning on having Katy show up again in the next chapter. (= For now, enjoy this one! **

**Chapter Seven: Ghosts**

There were two trains positioned on the tracks. It was like a maze that we were being forced to navigate. All the while, Cynthia remained close behind me, occasionally bumping into me whenever I paused to consider our next direction.

"How do you know where to go?" Cynthia asked as her eyes roamed over my face. Many times, I did not hesitate to follow a particular route, moving through the open train doors and entering other cars.

"Instinct," I replied, shrugging it off carelessly. Cynthia didn't seem convinced, but she dropped the subject. Every ounce of my concentration was focused on finding our way out. There were times when we would come across a locked door inside one of the cars and we'd have to retrace our steps, find another way around.

"Do you hear that?" Cynthia whispered, her hand snaking around my arm. Immediately, I stopped in the middle of the train car and listened. At first, all I could hear was silence. I opened my mouth to protest as much, when my ears caught the sound of low moaning.

The lights in the car flickered before going out completely, leaving Cynthia and I in sudden darkness. Newspapers fluttered and rustled on the seats, the barrier of chains in front of us clinking together eerily. Cynthia dug her nails into the skin of my arm until I could feel the wet sensation of blood.

"Cynthia, your nails..." I gritted my teeth against the discomfort. Her nails felt like small knives cutting away my skin. Cynthia glanced down and removed her hand.

"Sorry. Guess I'm just a little scared," she said, her voice breaking.

A woman's head appeared in the doorway of the train car, a worn hat on her gray head. Her eyes were cast down, her body slumped forward as though she were about to fall limp. My eyes traveled to her feet and..._they weren't touching the floor._

"Cynthia, run that way," I demanded out of the corner of my mouth, in case the ghost could understand my intentions. Cynthia took one glance at the ghost and scurried to the other open door.

"Nathan!" Cynthia cried out as she retreated from the door. Why wasn't she running? For a split second, I turned my head to her, long enough to see a second ghost float into view. _Oh, that's why,_ I thought as I studied the second ghost.

This one was bigger, wearing only a pair of shabby overalls, his bare feet hanging inches above the floor. We were stuck. The ghosts were blocking our only exits and they were slowly drawing near. The big ghost was hovering in front of the door that would allow us to progress through the train maze.

"Cynthia, duck!" I ordered her as I wound up the steel pipe over my shoulder. She immediately took heed, dropping to her knees while I swung the pipe straight into the ghost's head, right through the space where Cynthia had been standing only a few seconds ago. The ghost got a faceful of the steel pipe and flew against the chain barrier.

This time, Cynthia was running before she'd properly straightened up. The moans of the female ghost followed us and I laid a hand on Cynthia's back to encourage her to keep moving.

Cynthia and I ducked into the next open door and didn't even have time to think before we were dashing along inside the train car. At least the doors connecting the next car were unlocked and allowed us to run straight through.

"Are they still after us?" Cynthia sounded breathless and she was slowing down. Jogging, I glanced over my shoulder and saw that the pathway was clear.

"I don't think so, but let's find the exit before they catch up to us," I suggested, guiding her into the next car. There was another open door, revealing the track. "Thank God for that," I mumbled as we emerged from the train.

A red door was located at the end of the track. The way ahead was pretty empty, but I wasn't taking any chances.

"Walk in front of me and stay close," I told Cynthia as we started along the platform. Cynthia nodded, but couldn't help glancing sideways at the train as if a ghost would pop up at any second.

"Thank you for helping me," she said softly, to the point where I almost couldn't hear her. How was I supposed to defeat the odds and save her life?

"Don't thank me yet," I replied, imagining the way she looked in the game, lying on the floor surrounded by her own blood. It was an image I couldn't erase, especially when Cynthia faced me and gave me a warm, pleasant smile.

Cynthia and I started for the door. Even though there was no sign of any ghosts, I made sure to keep my guard up.

"Looks like they're all gone," Cynthia said, her voice tinged with hope as she scanned the platform. Instinctively, I caught ahold of her hand and held it, like a parent who helps their child cross the street.

"Don't be so sure," I muttered, focusing on the door as we drew closer to it. There was an unmistakeable tension in the air; my gut was warning me that something was going to happen.

The silence was broken as dark splotches streaked the walls, ghosts climbing through and shrieking wildly as they surrounded us. Some piled out of the train while others seemed to show up out of thin air.

Cynthia clung to me as the ghosts formed a tight circle around us, their ragged, wasted limbs reaching for us.

"What now?" Cynthia's eyes darted from one ghost to the next. The steel pipe was hanging loosely by my side; there was no way I'd be able to take on all the ghosts at once. _Maybe I don't have to,_ I thought as I abruptly connected the end of the pipe with the ghosts in front of us. Like a madman, I swung the pipe back and forth, hitting everything I could until there was an opening in the circle.

"Run for the door," I instructed Cynthia over my shoulder. The patterns of our footsteps echoed off the walls. All we had to do was reach the door. Three more feet, two more, one...

"Nathan, the ghosts," Cynthia exclaimed as my fingers nearly grazed the handle of the door.

"Just keep running," I yelled back without looking over my shoulder. My hand wrapped around the handle and I yanked the door wide open, leaping inside before the ghosts could reach us. The door slammed shut and I breathed a sigh of relief. "We did it. We made it. Are you alri-"

My sentence broke off as I realized I was alone.

"Cynthia?" _No, no, no! I've lost her again...I've failed,_ I blamed myself as I wrenched the door open and stepped back out onto the platform. There were no ghosts, no sign of Cynthia at all. "Cynthia!"

My voice thundered until it became nothing more than a whisper bouncing along the tunnel. _Nathan, the ghosts,_ I recalled her saying moments ago. Did she mean that the ghosts had caught her? Why hadn't I looked over my shoulder?

She was gone. It was inevitable; Cynthia was to become Walter's sixteenth victim.

...

Once I accepted the fact that Cynthia was gone, I returned to that room, ready to progress. Was there still a chance that she could be saved?

There was a ladder that allowed me to venture down into the subway's depths. The walls were tinted red and something that looked like an umbilical cord lined the narrow passage. It was pulsing and throbbing, as though alive. Avoiding it, I carefully stepped down the tunnel and climbed the stairs that waited at the end.

_At least this section isn't red, _I thought as I approached an escalator, leading to the first level of the subway. In fact, the area was simply gray-gray walls, gray floor, gray shadows dancing across every surface.

The escalator seemed endless as I rode it; I could barely even see the top floor above. As soon as my foot stepped on it, large demon-looking monsters stretched out of the walls, their bony hands waving crazily for the chance to knock me down. Whenever I was close to one, I attempted to block the blows with the steel pipe and jabbed back at it, all the while trying to maintain my balance on the thin steps.

When I reached the top, bruised but not overly bloody, I studied my surroundings, thinking of Cynthia and how she probably only had minutes to live. _If she's still alive, _I mused bitterly.

Like the tunnel, there was an oversized umbilical cord curling around the edges of the floor, pulsing menacingly. A crackling sound filled the area, just before Cynthia's soft voice came over the loudspeaker.

"Nathan, hurry! Come to the turnstile...Nathan, he's here. He's here and he's coming to get me."

...

**Well, that's that for this chapter. Katy will show up in the next one. **

**Just so you guys know (and don't get confused), I'm probably going to skip over the other worlds that come before Eileen's appearance. This was just to give you a taste of what Nathan faces (especially with a character like Cynthia). Just a little warning ahead of time, especially since the game includes the worlds a second time. **

**So, thank you for reading! Until next time! (=**


	8. Knock, Knock

**Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill 4 . Katy and Nathan, however, are mine.**

**A/N: I happen to think this is a very long chapter, but I hope you guys enjoy it nonetheless. Also, Katy gets a visitor in this chapter...along with a little fright. Enjoy! **

**Chapter Eight: Knock, Knock**

The nearest grocery store was across town and my only option was the subway. It didn't look menacing, but it brought a fresh swirl of memories to mind. _The subway...the ghost...the Double-Heads..._

"Hey, lady. Lady! Are you gonna move it or what?" A tall, burly guy behind me broke through my trance as I stood there on the sidewalk, in the pouring rain, debating my next move.

"Oh...sorry," I mumbled quietly, allowing him to pass. The man shot me a glare and disappeared down the subway steps. Maybe there was a bus I could catch. Then again, what was the worst that could happen? _Come on, Katy. You can do this. It's just a subway, filled with ordinary people..._

Taking a deep breath, I descended the steps leading into the subway below. The only good thing was that there were crowds of people rushing by, each looking to catch a train instead of traveling in the rain. _There's comfort in numbers...nothing to worry about,_ I thought as I followed the crowds.

Could these people look at me and notice my unsteady gait or the presence of fear in my eyes? Could they look at me and understand the horrors I went through? I felt like a separate being from those people, the ones who only had to worry about an early morning's meeting at the office or picking the kids up from school before hurrying to their next daily appointment.

There was no silence, no gore caking the walls, no strange monsters attacking out of the darkness. Purchasing a ticket, I walked in the direction of the entrances to the train lines. _See, Katy? Nothing bad at all. Nothing scary or wrong..._

The minute I stepped into the main area, the turnstiles empty of people, I knew something was wrong. A large crowd had formed near one of the entrances, but no one was being allowed in. Whispers circulated the room, anxious faces filling the crowd. What was going on?

"Come on, man, I'm already late as it is," someone shouted above the murmurs of the crowd. Turning, I saw that it was the burly man that had passed me earlier. Others nodded in agreement while some simply gossiped about what was happening.

It was difficult to see anything over so many heads, so I bustled my way through the crowd until I had a front row view. Behind the turnstiles, police were taping off one of the offices. Another policeman was trying desperately to calm the crowds, but it wasn't working. My eyes stayed glued to the office door as one of the policemen pulled a stretcher close to the door.

"These days just keep getting worse and worse," one of the men grumbled as he slid the stretcher just outside the door, warily eyeing something inside. The grimace on his face told me it wasn't good.

There was makeup scattered across the floor; lipstick, mascara, blush, eyeliner. A purse had been dropped only a few yards away. It was almost impossible to see inside the office, but I could at least see blood spilling out in a thin line. My heart clenched as I watched the men cart out a dead body.

The upset of the crowds died away as I saw one man drape a white sheet over the ragged, bloody body. Just before he did, I caught a glimpse of the woman's face. Piles of dark hair and once tanned skin that had been tainted red with blood.

The policeman's face grew grim as they placed the girl in a body bag, ushering something into their radios. As the men guided the stretcher away, one policeman remained in order to force the crowds away.

"Come on now, people. Move along. Nothing to see here, folks," the man barked. People reluctantly began to walk away, shaking their heads with pity, but I stayed.

"Excuse me. Excuse me!" The policeman turned to face me, his eyes narrowing suspiciously as he did. Clearly, he wanted to tell me to leave as well. There was no way I could just walk away now; I had to know just one thing.

"Ma'am, move along. Don't make me tell you twice," he warned, pointing a finger to motion behind me. My fingers curled around the turnstiles until they showed white as bone.

"Please, wait. What was the girl's name?" My voice was breaking and I knew it. My lungs could barely draw a breath in and I was visibly shaking. If I was wrong, then I could accept that it didn't mean anything. I could walk away and go about my day. But if I was thinking right...no, I wasn't right. I couldn't be.

"No information is being released yet, lady. Unless you're a family member," he told me, prepared to leave me standing there. All I had to know was her name. Even if it meant I had to beg.

"Please! I need to know. What was her name?" The man sighed and considered my face. Maybe he was memorizing it, in case something went wrong. Something in his face told me he was giving in. Then, he came close to the turnstiles and lowered his voice.

"Look, no one outside the department is supposed to know this. Dear God, I hope you're not a reporter," he hinted and I shook my head. "Poor girl. There was blood everywhere and those numbers...Anyway, her name was Cynthia, I think. Cynthia Velasquez."

...

Cynthia was still on my mind as I returned to my apartment building. She had been on my mind since I heard her name; at the grocery store, I had shopped in a daze as I considered what it meant. Maybe it was another Cynthia Velasquez, not the one I was thinking of.

It was much too quiet on the third floor. There was no one around, no sign of life whatsoever. How did the residents in this building live with so much silence?

Soaking wet head to toe from the rain, all I wanted to do was dry off and tumble under the sheets of my bed for a long nap. As I thought it, a yawn formed my mouth into a wide 'O'. Juggling a few bags of groceries, I managed to make it to my room without falling. _Almost there...now, where's that stupid key?_

Huffing, I settled the groceries on the floor and dug around for my key. Maybe I should just keep it on a chain around my neck from now on. _It'd sure make things easier, wouldn't it?_

My eye wandered down the hallway and I couldn't help but stare at the door to Room 302. Maybe the owner was back from wherever he had gone. _If he had even gone anywhere at all..._

Shaking my head, I forgot about unlocking my door and stepped closer towards Room 302. It looked exactly as it had last time I'd seen it. _What were you expecting, Katy? A bit of blood? _

Raising my hand, I lightly knocked on the door and pressed my ear to it, listening intently for any noise on the other side. Nothing. Not even a footstep.

Backing away, I swiftly knelt on my knees and peered through the crack of the door. The lights must have been off inside because all I could see was darkness. No shoes belonging to a person at all.

Suddenly, I felt really foolish, kneeling there in the hallway and checking under a stranger's door. Surely there was no one inside.

"Well, that proves it, then. Nothing to worry about," I muttered as I straightened up. _My imagination's just running away again. I'm jumping to conclusions all because of that stupid, unrealistic dream and because of that subway incident._

Shuffling back to my door, I retrieved my key, lifted the groceries, and rushed into my room before I could think anymore about it. I dropped the groceries on the kitchen table and went to my bedroom instead of unpacking them.

Once inside my bedroom, I lowered my body onto the edge of my bed and couldn't stop the insane thoughts from creeping back in. Was it all just a coincidence? Or did it mean something else?

In an attempt to forget about it, I curled up under the blankets on my bed and laid my head down on the pillow. I closed my eyes and let my breathing slow until I could feel sleep taking me. _Just need sleep...just a little sleep..._

...

_Knock...knock...knock..._

_Unngh...whoizzit?_ My eyes fluttered open to the slow sound of someone knocking on my front door. One of my hands scrambled on my bedside table for my clock. The time was out of focus as my brain awoke, but then it swam into view. _God, it's almost midnight...who the hell is knocking on my door at midnight?_

Groaning, I sat up and switched on the light. It was dim, but it allowed me to see enough to make it out of my room. Trudging down the hallway, I glared at the front door. _It better be something good..._

_Knock...knock...knock..._The person started again and it sounded almost eerie. Without unlocking the door, I placed my eye in front of the viewer. Almost instantly, I jumped back, the face on the other side burned into my mind. _Oh, God, no...I must be dreaming..._

My breath quickened as I saw his face in my mind, staring straight at the peephole. Staring straight at me. Those eyes...that smile...And then, I screamed and released all the upset that I've been keeping in all day.

_"Nooooo! This can't be happening to me again!_" I stumbled backwards as the knocking started once more, this time more insistent. _"Leave me alone!"_

Somehow, I'd landed on the worn out couch that had been left behind in this apartment. Burying my head in my hands, I pulled my body into a ball and tried my hardest to ignore the knocking. _This can't be happening...not again...please, God, let me wake up!_

Even when the knocking died away, my thoughts became my worst enemy. The memory of that nightmare came back full force; every detail, every terrible moment, every painful wound...

The worst part was that I could not seem to erase that face from my mind, no matter what. For the person that had been knocking on my door had been none other than Walter Sullivan.


	9. Walter's Latest Victim

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything except Katy and Nathan. All else belongs to the creators of Silent Hill. **

**A/N: Hello, all! First off, I must say that the reviews were amazing to read. Thank you, everyone! Here's a shout-out to Crown of Gold, Alex, writer of the apocalypse, Magic Boy6, and James Wolf325 for all the reviews they've given me so far. (= **

**Chapter Nine: Walter's Latest Victim **

_It's just a dream, Katy. All you have to do is wake up,_ I tried to convince myself as I stayed frozen on the couch, my legs pulled up to my chest like a child. How long until Walter came for me?

There was a sudden click in the lock and the door edged open, the light from the hallway flowing over the carpet. A long shadow eclipsed the streak of light and my heart thudded painfully in my chest.

Instantly, I was on my feet and heading for the kitchen. _I need a weapon, anything at all,_ I thought as I searched the drawers for the knives. Where did I put them after unpacking them? _Think, Katy, think..._

Soft footsteps reached my ears as the intruder stole into the room, fitfully fighting to keep his presence as much a secret as possible. My hands scrambled for a sharp knife in the third drawer. Swiftly, I turned, aiming the knife directly in front of me, and-

-there was no one there. The light from the hall pooled across the carpet, undisturbed and absent of any lingering shadow. The only thing I heard was heavy, harsh breathing and it took me a minute to realize it was coming from me. My body was shaking violently as I held teh knife poised for attack. Had I been imagining it? _No, there was someone here, I'm sure of it. _

The breath was released from my lungs in one long sigh. Slightly lowering the knife, I stumbled to the door and peered into the hallway-left and right-before assuming that the intruder had gone. Gently, I closed the door and double-locked it with the sliding, rusty chain that hung limply against the door frame.

Turning, I could only picture my bed and waking up to a better dream, but I was unable to take more than a single step. My feet froze in place and the knife dropped away, landing somewhere beside my feet. A scream rose in my throat, but failed to come out of my mouth.

Walter Sullivan stood a mere three feet away, a knife clamped in his hand. It was almost identical to the knife I had claimed only minutes before. All reasonable, logical thoughts had flown out the window; all I could do was back away. Where had my knife gone? Why had I double-locked the door?

Without thinking, I spun around and yanked at the chain. My fingers curled around it, but my brain failed me out of fear-instead of sliding it properly, I simply struggled to rip it off the door.

In an instant, Walter's hands grabbed my shoulders and he threw me aside like a rag doll. _Like Eileen's doll,_ I thought faintly, not knowing where the idea even came from. Walter laughed darkly and honed in on me, the knife gleaming dangerously. _Where...is...my...knife?_

My eyes scanned the floor and...there! It was only a few feet away, close to Walter's foot. As he approached, I allowed my body to act on its own accord.

Without hesitation, I leaped up and dived for the knife. Walter must have been expecting it; automatically, he chose to plunge his foot into my stomach. The breath whooshed out of me, but somehow my fingers had found the knife. Stars danced in front of my eyes as my stomach began to throb with pain and soreness.

Using a forced amount of strength, I stabbed Walter in the leg with the knife. He groaned and faltered for a second, but it was enough.

Wincing, I brought myself to my feet and sunk the knife into his chest. One of his hands covered the wound, only to come away sticky with blood. His dark eyes flashed with annoyance.

Forgetting the wound, Walter started to swing the knife toward my head, but I ducked. His other fist grabbed a handful of my hair and nearly lifted me off the ground. _Whoa, down boy,_ I thought as my bare feet left the carpet for a minute.

Grinning, he raised the knife and sliced it deep into my back. A low moan of agony escaped my throat as he allowed my body to crumple to the floor, face first. The pain was too great; I could barely move as I lay there, waiting for whatever he planned to do to me next.

Far away, I heard him laugh softly as he knelt down beside me. The pain was unbearable, but it wasn't the worst pain I had ever felt. No, that kind of pain came a second later when Walter began to drag his knife through the skin of my back, carving the numbers meant for his latest victim.

...

**Poor Katy. Well, I think our two characters here will meet in the next chapter. So, be patient and I will have the next one up soon! (= Thanks for reading, everyone! **


	10. Game On

**Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill 4. I do not own anything in this story except Nathan and Katy. **

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews, everyone! Your support means a lot to this story. **

**By the way, I've noticed that the first point of view might get confusing between Nathan and Katy since they will be working together now. So, I will make a habit of pointing out the specific character during the chapters (you'll see what I mean). **

**In answer to another reviewer, I do try to update as fast as I can (trust me, I know how frustrating it is to wait for the next chapter of a good story). This one only took longer because I was trying to make the chapter lengthy for you guys. Well, at least I tried. (= **

**Chapter Ten: Game On **

_Katy_

_Oh, God...please make it stop,_ I prayed silently as the knife took its time carving out the set of numbers on my back. My skin was burning like someone had jabbed me with a hot poker. Black dots swam in my vision-everything was moving out of focus and becoming hazy.

A second set of footsteps sounded near the door and then a pair of small feet were dashing across the carpet. The knife was lifted from my back and it seemed like the person was pulling Walter away from me. My ears refused to work; only silence surrounded me.

Walter's knife fell to the floor, but he did not move to retrieve it. The second person planted their feet on the ground and blocked me from Walter. It must have been the young Walter, the little boy who saved Eileen's life in the game. _The one who saved my life...thank you,_ I thought.

Someone else entered the room and froze near the door. Who was that? Henry? My eyes were growing heavy and all i wanted to do was close them for a little while. Maybe I would fall asleep and escape the pain.

The man knelt beside me and, through my fluttering eyelashes, I could see it wasn't Henry Townshend. My lips formed the question of 'Who are you?' but no sound came out. As I fought to stay conscious, I noticed the man's eyes travel down to my back. How bad did it look, with the crude numbers etched there?

I struggled to move, to even lift up my head, but I think I only managed to move an inch. The man placed a hand on mine, though I could barely see it now with the intensity of the black spots before my eyes. His lips were moving and I narrowed my eyes in an attempt to read them.

_Shouldn't...move. Get you...ambulance...it'll...okay._ Slowly, I tried to nod my acknowledgment, but even that was too much effort. My eyes closed and the thick silence wrapped around me like a blanket. My body grew still and numb, so much that the burning agony in my back no longer existed.

...

I knew her, even with every inch of her skin drenched in blood, the numbers flooding over completely. It was the girl that I had seen outside my apartment, the one I had desperately called out to. Was I too late, just as I had been with Cynthia? _It's okay...it's just a dream,_ I had told a dying Cynthia as I held her, as her eyes became unseeing and I was forced to close them forever. The words hadn't given me any comfort then, and they didn't offer me any comfort now as I knelt down by the girl.

As I studied her, I saw her eyelids twitch weakly and her head began to lift from the floor, only to drop again. How long until she succumbed to death?

"You shouldn't move," I advised her, though I wasn't even sure if she could hear me. "I'll get you an ambulance. It'll be okay," I promised her, lying through my teeth. What if she wasn't okay?

Glancing up, I noticed that Walter had disappeared along with his younger self. Where had they gone? Somehow, Walter's absence did not ease my anxiety; I knew that if this girl lived through tonight, he'd be back. If she lived.

...

The room slowly swam into view as the dream-or whatever it was-faded, slipping through my fingers before I even had the chance to lift my head from the pillow. The cracked ceiling of my apartment mocked me and the rain beat harder against the window, as though laughing at my second failed attempt at saving someone's life.

The other times, when I had met Jasper, Richard, and Andrew after Cynthia, I hadn't sincerely tried as much as I should have. I did not make the effort to prevent their deaths with as much force as I could have. Cynthia ruined that for me.

That girl's face clouded my mind as I absently found my way to the front door, the chains still wrapped tightly around the doorframe, barring my escape. What happened to that girl? Had it been too late?

"I don't even know her name," I mumbled out loud. My voice made the apartment sound emptier than ever. Just then, a soft, slow knocking came from the door; maybe it was the super again.

Cautiously, I approached the door and peered through the viewer. What I saw startled me, but I couldn't lower my eyes. It was Walter, staring at me through the viewer with a small smile on his face. For a long minute, he remained there before casually turning and sliding out of view. _What did he want? Why was he here?_

My eyes did not come away from the viewer. Something was bothering me and it was quickly rising into being. There were still nineteen handprints on the wall across from my room. _Nineteen handprints...nineteen victims. Eileen was the twentieth, which means..._

"She's still alive," I breathed in wonder, the realization hitting me all at once. My lungs swelled as though it had been deprived of breath and was thirsty for the air it craved. A dozen thoughts swirled around my mind, but only one clear message soared over the surface. I hadn't failed this time. The girl had lived.

At the same time, a horrible premonition surged through my chest. Walter had been standing in front of that wall, had caused the deaths of those nineteen people. There had been a smile on his face, like he was keeping a secret.

Suddenly, I understood the reason for his eerie presence. It was a warning; he had wanted me to know that the game was not yet over. Walter was intending to find that girl, to finish her in the way he couldn't before.

I had to go back into that nightmare. If I didn't, I'd probably never forgive myself if that girl did not make it out alive. _Game on, Walter,_ I thought confidently as I hurried to the bathroom, where the wide hole was waiting for me. Without considering a second thought, I crawled into the hole, determined to reach that girl before Walter did.

...


	11. Beep

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill or anything in this story, except for Katy and Nathan. Everything else belongs to Team Silent and Konami. **_

_**A/N: Okay, so I am seriously writing this during class because my teacher decided not to show up today and I have time on my hands…so why not update? I'm glad all of you are enjoying this story so much; it makes me smile to hear all the good comments! Enjoy this chapter, everyone (especially since I'm skipping out on an assignment to do it!). (= **_

_**Chapter Eleven: Beep**_

**_Katy_ **

_Beep…beep…beep… _

_What…happened? _

_Where…am I? _

_Beep…beep…beep… _

_Oh…my head…pain…_

My eyes fluttered open, only to be blinded by intense light. A steady throb was beating against my skull, beating to the rhythm of the beeps I was hearing. My body was numb; I tried to move even a finger, but it felt like my brain had shut down. _Come on, finger…move. Just so I know I'm alive… _

_Beep…beep…beep…_A machine was connected to me through a series of tubes and wires, the monotonous beeping a reminder that I was not healthy by any means. My vision swam as I pried open my eyes to glare at the screen. Was I fatally injured? Would I recover? Where were the doctors?

"Please…help…" My voice came out in a croak, rough and raw. My throat burned like someone had forced acid down my windpipe while I slept. This was some kind of hospital, but why was I even here? My memory was fuzzy and gray, like static on a television screen. The pillow beneath my head felt like a mound of snow, soft and gentle enough to rest my head and fall away into sleep.

As my eyelids closed, a mental image of a man floated across my mind. Brown hair, brown eyes, a concerned expression on his face. He was kneeling over me and saying something, but it was impossible to decipher the words. Then, the face was replaced by another one, a more sinister one. _I know him…his name is…is…Walter… _

The memories snapped back into my head like a rubber band, each one detailed and vivid. The attack, Walter's face in the viewer, the brutal pain of the knife cutting numbers into my back…_I have to get out of here,_ I realize with increasing dread. If I stayed here, he would find me again.

With all my strength-which wasn't much at this point-I struggled to raise my body from the hospital bed. I swayed as I leaned over the edge, the dusty floor rushing up at me. Pain entered my forehead and I understood that I must have hit my head, though I did not feel the impact. What the hell did these doctors-if they even were doctors-give me? My legs felt like Jell-O and could barely support me. As I stood, they wobbled and then my body collided to the floor once more. _Oh, God…please help me get out of here…_

_ Beep…beep…beep…_The buzzing roared in my ears and drowned out the rapid pace of my heart. My hands gripped the bed sheet as I scrambled onto my feet again. The room spun and black spots danced in front of my eyes, but I managed to stay on my feet. Hastily, I rushed across the room and was pulled back, my escape prevented by something. It was then that I remembered I was attached to numerous tubes as well as an IV. Recklessly, I tore the tubes away from my body and dug the IV out my arm. The beeping stopped, instead becoming one long tone that signaled a flatline on the machine. _Beeeeeeeeeeeeeep…. _

Barely walking, I rushed for the door and stopped midway with my hand almost touching the doorknob. Beneath my fingers, the knob was turning and someone was coming inside...

_**...**_

_**Nathan**_

The hospital reminded me of Alchemilla Hospital, which did not ease my lurching stomach as I awoke on a hospital bed. It wasn't a hospital room, exactly; more like an examination room. The lights in the ceiling were dimmed and one strong lamp was centered in the corner, its beam directed on a figure behind a screen. A shadow was moving-it was a person. Their head was bent low over something, but occasionally the person would reach for a tool of some kind.

_ I need to find that girl…I need to find her before Walter does,_ I remembered my reason for being here. The silhouette behind the screen matched Walter's figure. My eyes traveled to the examination room double doors, across the room but nowhere near Walter. Could I make it there before he noticed me?

Gently, I lowered my body off the hospital bed. Whenever it creaked, I stopped in place and waited to see if Walter heard the sound, but he remained unaware. The whirring of a saw started up and I breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe now he would not hear me at all. Slowly, I placed my left foot on the ground and then my right foot. _So far so good,_ I thought as I crept along the side of the bed. My hand swept across a tray of tools and accidentally tipped one over; it was a scalpel that clattered to the ground. The screen still hid Walter completely, but I realized my mistake. The whirring vanished and everything was silent. _He heard me…he knows I'm here… _

I held my breath until it hurt my lungs, until my body was begging for air. After a tense moment, the whirring began again and I closed my eyes, releasing my breath quietly. That was close, much too close.

Turning, I opened my eyes and jumped back. Walter was standing directly in front of me, acting as a barrier between me and the door to freedom. In his hands was the scalpel I dropped, the blade looking sharper than it had while resting on the tray. My eyes found the space behind the screen and I could see the drill, settled on a table and whirring, but without an owner.

Backing away, I scanned the room for a weapon. In the Prison World, I had lost my steel pipe to a Twin Monster, the end of it stuck inside the face of one of the ghostly twins. It had been by miracle alone that I had survived this far without a steady, accessible weapon. Walter eyed my bare hands and moved forward, the scalpel ready for swinging. Maybe I could dart around him, run to the door and escape.

Preparing my stance, I allowed Walter to make an attempt in cornering me. That was when it occurred to me: the drill. A surge of hope lifted in my chest and I became the one to guide Walter. _Come on, come this way… _

Walter somehow did not understand my intentions or did not care whether I chose to pursue them. As far as I was concerned, he couldn't really die anyway. Still, I couldn't help smirking as I felt the table behind me. Walter stared at me, probably making sure I was cornered, and then raised the scalpel.

Instantly, I spun and grabbed the drill. Walter's scalpel came flying towards me, but I struck his arm with the drill, the tool cutting straight through to the other side. The scalpel fell from his hand as he gazed at the drill that was buried in his arm. Diving for the scalpel, I caught it and sprinted for the door. There was the ripping of flesh and dripping of blood as Walter detached the drill from his arm. Without looking back, I slammed the door behind me and prayed that Walter did not follow.

I stood there, scalpel clutched in my hand and my breath having yet to slow down, waiting for whatever was to come. Everything was quiet on the other side of the door. In my head, I counted off the minutes. _One minute….two minutes….three minutes…_all the way up to ten. Reluctantly, I reached for the handle of the examination room and opened it; I could not leave without knowing what exactly happened to Walter. Peering in, I cursed under my breath. Walter was gone, most likely going after his next victim. _I swear, I'll find her before you do…I'll find her and this time, you won't win._


	12. The Waiting Game

**Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill or anything in this story, except Katy and Nathan. All else belongs to Team Silent. **

**A/N: Again, writing from class (hope I don't start making a habit of that!). It is BORING here, so it's lucky for you guys that I have turned to updating today. (= Now, let's get this show on the road. **

**To Crown of Gold: Creepy Vincent-cool way…I like that. Yep, Walter is not creepy-cool like Vincent. He's just creepy. **

**Chapter Twelve:The Waiting Game**

**Katy**

The doorknob turned and the door began to creak open. A shadow fell over the tiled floor and I was reliving that horrible moment in my apartment again; the moment when I knew Walter was coming for me. The machine continued to buzz its nerve-wracking "beeeeeep".

It was strange to be frozen in place yet to also be aware of everything around me. My skin was prickling, the hairs standing straight up as I grew tense. A layer of cool sweat formed on my brow as I concentrated on the slight jarring of the door. My fingers curled into fists as I internally debated what to do.

My mind could not control me anymore, so I let my body do what it would. Somehow, I had decided to kneel to the floor until my skin brushed the cool surface. As the footsteps approached the door and a shoe entered the room, I positioned myself flat on my stomach and slid under the hospital bed until it fully concealed me.

A second shoe joined the first and I clamped a shaking hand over my mouth to prevent myself from gasping aloud. My breath was warm against my hand and the fingernails of my other hand grazed the floor, as though desperately holding on for dear life. _'Aren't I, though? If he finds me, I'm done for,'_ I thought with a sudden chill. The numbers carved in my back began to sting as if reminding me that it wasn't the worst to come.

The shoes carefully swept across the floor and stopped right beside the bed. The sheets hung loosely over the side, acting as a curtain. For what seemed like centuries, the person stood there, the beeping the only noise filling the silence. Was he waiting for me to come out? Did he know I was still here?

A sickening feeling swam through my stomach. What if it was only that guy that I had seen in my apartment, the one who had helped me? It was a possibility, but I didn't think he'd be this quiet. _'Please say something. Please call out, let me know that you're not him,'_ I silently begged.

No voice rose from the quiet, no attempt at revealing the identity of the person. Inching my body forward, I cautiously peered through the curtain of sheets; I wanted to catch a glimpse of this an odd angle, I could just make out the person's face.

It was Walter, but he wasn't staring at the spot where I was hidden. Instead, he was gazing at the machine as though it were his favorite television program. The never-ending beeping was starting to get on my nerves, echoing through my brain.

As if reading my mind, Walter lifted a nearby tray of tools and smashed it against the screen, silencing the beeping forever. A handful of hospital tools rained down, including a scalpel and a small mirror like the ones they use in the dentist's office. It had landed just outside my hiding spot; I could stretch my arm out and touch it, it was so close. _'But do I dare while he's standing right there?' _

The mirror had rebounded off the floor and had come to a stop under the bed. I went for that first and Walter never noticed. Gripping the cool metal in my hands, I held it so that I could see Walter's face in the small mirror. His eyes were roaming around the room, though there were not many places I'd obviously be.

With great intent, Walter headed for the hospital bed and I held my breath, anticipating the feel of his hands as eh dragged me out from under the bed. There were no hands, but there was the groaning of springs as Walter carelessly took a seat on the bed. A small whimper threatened to come from my mouth. _'He's inches above me…how will I get out now?' _

I easily lowered the mirror until it lay on the floor, the mattress of the bed reflected in the cool glass. It was now or never-I needed something to defend myself with. Now, I almost wished I was reliving Silent Hill 3 again. That adventure was much simpler than this. Somewhat.

Taking in a gradual breath, I slid my arm across the floor, my skin rubbing where it met the tiles. The scalpel was so close…would he notice if I took it?_ 'Come on, Katy…be brave. Take it,'_ I ordered myself and shot my arm forward.

There was the moaning of the mattress and then Walter's hand snaked forward and picked the scalpel up from the ground. Instantly, I forced my hand back, in case he saw me. The bed became silent again, but I could only think of how he was probably twirling that scalpel in his fingers. _'What is he doing up there? When will he leave?'_

My hands were cold as ice and all I had was the mirror to hold onto. What good would a mirror do? _'Please leave…just leave me alone,'_ I felt like yelling out to him. The floor was hard, but I laid my head against it, my mind juggling for a reasonable option. Crawl out and face Walter? Or stay here until he manages to leave?

I do not know how much time passed-a few seconds, an hour, who knows?-but Walter finally got to his feet. Like before, he remained beside the bed, not moving an inch.

My fears were confirmed when he took his time kneeling by the bed. At first all I could see was his leg, knelt there within arm's reach. Then, as if in slow motion, he bent forward until his body was lying on the floor much like mine had before I crawled under the bed. His face came into view, his blonde hair falling across it and making him look even more sinister in the dim light. His eyes were trained on me and a slow smile grew on his face. '_Oh, no…' _

Before I had a chance to scream properly, his hands were curled around my ankles and my body was being dragged from my hiding spot. Walter slid me across the floor until I was in plain view.

I had to get up, had to run for the door. Walter's scalpel came rushing down towards my abdomen, but I raised my foot and kicked at his hand, sending the scalpel hurtling across the room. Immediately, I forced my body to stand, though the medicine was still doing funky things to my vision; it was like looking through a narrow funnel.

Walter was on me in a second, his leg pinning me down face first to the floor. His hands closed around my throat, blocking off my air supply. My heart went into overdrive as I pried at his fingers, struggling to release his grip. One of his fingers pressed down on the hollow of my throat and I swore it'd go right through my skin if it could. _'Can't…breathe…' _

My hands stopped trying to fight him off as my vision grew even more blurry. My lungs burned and my heart felt like it was going to pound right out my chest.

My eyes went wide to the point where they could pop clean out, before I understood what the shiny thing was on the floor. My brain couldn't find the word for it, but I faintly recalled seeing Walter's reflection…_'the mirror_', that was the word. It was half-hidden by the curtain of sheets. Weakly, I reached for it and closed my hand around it. In one single thrust, I forced it upward and I heard a deep cry of pain.

Thankfully, the hold around my neck loosened and my lungs ached from the great mouthful of air that poured in. My body could barely move after almost being strangled, but I staggered to the door and never looked back, letting my legs carry me away.

...

**Well, that's two chapters in one day. You should all be very happy. (= Remember to review! Until next time...**


	13. Head On

**Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill or anything related to it. I only own Nathan and Katy. **

**A/N: So, our two unfortunate characters actually meet up in this chapter...under very unexpected circumstances. (= Read and enjoy! **

**Chapter Thirteen: Head-On**

_Nathan_

_Where is she? _My mind could not operate but to repeat these three simple words as I searched the hospital room for room. Had Walter already found her?

There were countless offices, sterile examination rooms, and two bathrooms on the ground floor, all lacking a living, breathing girl. My shoes slapped hard against the cold, tiled floor as I darted around, scanning quickly before moving on. It was eerily silent as I roamed the halls, but the air felt incredibly heavy, like trying to walk through a tank of water.

Every now and then, my intuition would get the better of me and I would pause to glance over my shoulder in case Walter reappeared. I had the strangest sensation of being watched, but I saw no one around. _God, I hate this place,_ I thought bitterly as I found myself standing directly in front of the elevator.

It shouldn't have surprised myself me that the button did not respond. Even so, I felt a stab of frustration when nothing happened. There was no creaking noise as the elevator descended, no sudden light illuminating the call button. In denial, I jabbed relentlessly at the button, refusing to acknowledge its uselessness.

Sighing, I smoothed a rough hand over my face and spotted a door that marked the stairwell. Its window was too dusty to see anything beyond it, as if the hospital had been out of working order for some years. _Maybe it has, _I realized as I once again noted the barren touch that had settled over the place.

There was no choice; I flung open the door and let it close slowly behind me. Shadows clung to every step, as though they would attempt to trip me on my way up. There was a space underneath the stairs, but I avoided it-who knew what was hidden in the darkness there? _I'm not afraid, just being careful,_ I told myself.

My steps echoed off the walls and bounced back to me. Chills swept over my skin as I climbed the stairs, imagining that something was waiting for me on the next level.

My hand grazed the gray wall and a sudden loud noise made me jump nearly a mile. It had come from the first floor, faint but still noticeable. For a long moment, I stayed there on the section between the first and second floors. _Do I go up or down? _

Gripping the scalpel, I stared hard at the door to the first floor, as if I had X-ray vision and could very well see the source of the noise. Maybe something just tipped over...

_Don't think about it. Just keep moving. _Without meaning to, I practically ran up the last flight of stairs to the second floor. Behind me, I distinctly heard the sound of the first floor door opening below and my heart hammered in my chest. There were fast steps, racing to catch up.

Quickly, I grabbed the handle of the door and lurched into the second floor hallway. My breath came in gasps as I waited for whatever it was to find the door. Turning, I cupped my hands to the thin glass window and pressed my face to it, watching for any movement. There was nothing there on the stairs. _Am I losing it? This place...it's giving me the creeps,_ I thought as I walked away.

My thoughts were still pondering the incident on the stairwell when I strode around the corner. There was a blurred flash of movement and-

...

_Katy_

My bare feet pounded on the floor as I ran as fast as I could. I did not care where I went, so long as Walter did not follow. My legs ached but I pumped them harder and harder.

The second floor hallway went by in a complete blur. It consisted of twelve or so rooms, six on each side. My only praise was that there were no ghostly wheelchairs cruising around the hall, blocking my way.

Was Walter even following me? I wasn't about to stop and see; instead, I kept moving. Every other thought had flown out the window-the only thoughts I had came in short bursts. _Stairs...elevator...run...hurry..._

Out of curiosity, I whipped my head around, just to check if Walter was even there. The hallway was deserted, but then he could probably show up anywhere, considering it was his nightmare dimension. Turning my head, I reached the end of the hall, sprinted around the corner and-

_Smack!_ Something heavy and solid connected with my own body and I landed painfully on my back. The wounds there tensed and complained, making me wince. My forehead hurt and for a second I was a little dizzy. If you asked me then, I would have told you there were two ceilings and about a million doors in that hallway._What the...?_

After my head stopped spinning, I sat up and gazed at the thing that I ran into. To be fair, it was a person-the guy I saw right before I passed out in my apartment. The guy who probably saved my life.

I couldn't help my eyes going wide as he copied me, sitting up and meeting my eyes, looking more than a little bewildered. Recognition sparked in his brown eyes. Had he been looking for me or running from Walter? Between the two of us, I recovered first and gave him a reassuring half-smile.

"Well, you're certainly not Henry."


	14. Together

**Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill. However, Katy and Nathan are mine. **

**A/N: Hello, everyone and happy Thanksgiving! While you are all enjoying your turkey and desserts, I have another treat for you: a new chapter! Enjoy! By the way, chocolate creme pie is _delicious!_I'm eating pie while writing. Yum!**

**Chapter Fourteen: Together **

_Nathan_

"Well, you're certainly not Henry," the brown-haired girl mused as she lay sprawled on the floor from our unexpected impact. Offering a hand, I helped her to her feet and steadied her when she began to sway.

"Yeah, well you're not Eileen," I replied, giving her the once over to emphasize my point. The girl gave a half-smile and shrugged. Though she tried to hide it, I could see her wince from her wounds and I felt a little sorry for her. _No one deserves this kind of pain,_ I thought. "You're the girl I saw outside my apartment."

"So you were stuck in there?" The girl nodded with a bit of understanding. It struck me as stange that the girl was not shying away from the unexplainable events of this nightmare.

"You seem awfully calm about this situation," I told her, eyeing her carefully. The girl's eyes grew distant and the corners of her lips wilted as she frowned in deep thought. Did I say something wrong? _Good going, Nathan,_ I scolded myself.

"I've...I've been in this kind of nightmare before," she nearly whispered, as though afraid to say it out loud. The girl seemed to be lost in her thoughts, like she was reliving some memory. All of a sudden, she snapped back to reality and held out her hand to me. "I'm Katy, by the way."

"Nathan," I offered while ignoring her outstretched hand. Awkwardly, she kept her hand there for another moment, then dropped it to her side. The quiet was smothering me as we stood here in the hallway. "What exactly were you running from?"

"Depends...what were _you_ running from?" Katy retorted, her eyebrows arching in question. Nathan couldn't help but laugh; the girl definitely had a sharp tongue and wasn't afraid to use it. Perhaps this was why she was able to survive this far.

_"Walter,"_ the two of us answered simultaneously, our voices blending together. At this, Katy glanced furtively over her shoulder, as if she thought Walter would appear once his name was spoken. Truthfully, I couldn't blame her, not when she had a set of numbers carved into her back to mark her death.

"Actually," I started. "I was looking for you. I wanted to help you. You know, get to you before Walter did," I explained, for some reason feeling foolish about it. If this girl had had experience in this sort of nightmare, why shouldn't she be able to survive? Just as I expected, Katy feigned offense.

"I'll have you know that I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself," she said, holding her head high. Without really meaning to, I scoffed at her, which only made her more irritated.

"Sure, sweetheart. That's why you're back is carved like a pumpkin on Halloween," I pointed out, a grin plastered on my face. Katy's mouth dropped open, but no sound came out. An angry expression filled her face and she stomped past me. Quickly, I grabbed her arm and she scowled. "Okay, wait. Sorry about that. Look, if we're going to survive against Walter, it's better if we do it together."

Katy considered this-it was her turn to give me the once-over. Then, she sighed and nodded lightly. Relief poured through me; at least I wouldn't have to face this nightmare alone.

"Just so you know, I have no weapon," I stated, holding out my empty hands. Nathan frowned and gazed down at his pathetic scalpel.

"This is all I have. We'll have to keep our eyes out for better weapons," I said, thinking of that drill that I used on Walter's arm. Katy nodded and then smiled brightly.

"Well, at least I don't have a broken arm. I'll be able to keep up with you," she said. Except for some deep gashes and cuts, there wasn't anything seriously damaging to Katy to prevent her from handling her own ground.

"Thank God for that because there's no chance of me letting you out of my sight." With that, I guided Katy down the hallway, the both of us keeping our eyes wary in case Walter decided to visit us.

...

_Katy_

Nathan and I took slow steps down the hallway and began checking the rooms; perhaps there would be something of use. It was quiet between us, the uneasy silence of two strangers who are forced to work together. _What am I supposed to say to him? Vincent was easier to talk to than this,_ I thought, then immediately took it back. Vincent was also half-crazy.

"So, you've been through this before?" Nathan was attempting to fill the space between us, but it wasn't going to work. I refused to talk about my nightmare experience with anyone, especially him.

"Yep," I bluntly answered as we found a patient's room. There was a single gray bed, a table, and a window with the shades drawn, shutting the room in dim light. On the table was a china doll, left behind by the patient or maybe a loved one.

"Care to elaborate?" Nathan obviously wasn't taking the hint, so I crossed my arms defiantly. My eyes remained glued to the doll, its porcelain black eyes staring back.

"Nope," I replied, moving to lift the doll. It was oddly familiar. Not the doll, exactly, but the way it was dressed. The doll had a short, blonde bob with perfect red lips. On its body was a long-sleeved dark pink shirt and a hot pink leopard print skirt. Dark boots encased her feet and even her tiny fingernails were painted a shade of pink. It gave me chills just to look at it. _"Maria,"_ I whispered, not realizing I'd spoken aloud until Nathan came to stand beside me.

"What do you know? This place screws with your mind, doesn't it?" Nathan's hand grabbed the doll and placed it back on the table. Apparently, it didn't bother him one bit to see a miniature Maria lying around.

"Tell me about it," I said, gazing at the doll. Dropping my eyes, I approached the window and pulled back the shades only to see the night sky, without any twinkling stars. When I turned to suggest the idea of leaving, the Maria doll was facing me, its black eyes watching me and that small smile mocking me.

"Nathan, did you move the doll?" He was studying the bed, checking behind it for any other forgotten items. At this, he raised his head and seemed confused.

"No...why?" His eyes found the Maria doll and he tilted his head in amazement as he saw what I saw. Somehow, the doll's head had swiveled toward me, though the remaining parts of its body were in the same position as before.

"It's watching me," I said quietly, feeling goosebumps crawl up my arms. There was no way the doll could have moved; it was just a doll. _But this is Silent Hill, Katy, _I reminded myself.

"Let's get out of here," Nathan suggested, wrapping his hand around my wrist and pulling me to the door. I didn't have the will to push him off-the doll had shaken me up a bit.

It wasn't until we were stepping over the threshold that I heard the sharp, ringing noise of breaking glass. Whipping my head around, I noticed the mess on the floor. The Maria doll had fallen from the table and had shattered into millions of porcelain pieces.

...

**Hope you liked the chapter everyone. I just added the Maria doll as a kind of easter egg...also because I happen to think dolls are creepy in Silent Hill. Remember to review; each one gives me more and more motivation for this story. (= **


	15. Scares

**Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill or anything in relation to it. All I own are my OCs, Katy and Nathan. **

**A/N: Hello, readers! Once again, thank you for the reviews; they help to get me inspired for writing more chapters. In response to one, I am actually looking forward to Silent Hill: Downpour, but I sadly do not own a Playstation 3….though I really want one. I also haven't played Homecoming yet because I only own a PS2. /= **

**Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys the next chapter (I'm writing this up for you guys before I go over my friend's house; I probably won't update tomorrow because tomorrow's Sunday (for me that means watching Once Upon A Time, which is my new addiction)). So, enjoy reading! **

**Chapter Fifteen: Scares**

_Nathan _

The sound of shattering glass reached my ears and it echoed off the walls of this hospital, the same way it thundered through my nerves. I didn't want to admit it to Katy, but the Maria doll had unnerved me more than it should have. Looking at it gave me chills that slithered straight down my back. Now, I led Katy down the hallway as we ventured into the other rooms.

"Where do you think Walter went?" Katy's small voice interrupted the stillness that had settled over the second floor hallway like a thick blanket. Katy was the kind of girl who was accustomed to hiding her fears and worries, but I could see her lip quivering slightly as I turned to her. _She's afraid of him, _I realized, but then who wouldn't be? Walter was hell-bent on finding her, killing her. That kind of thought would drive anyone up the wall.

"I don't know. Where do psychopaths usually hang out? McDonalds?" This made Katy smile a bit. The smile lit up her face—I liked it. Just as quickly, it disappeared, as if it were illegal to laugh or smile in such a dreary, hopeless place. Part of me wondered what she had been through and how much of her it had changed. Was she much quicker to smile before her nightmare? Did she always tense up in the littlest change in atmosphere?

"Mmmm…I could go for some fast food right now," she said, a dreamy look entering her wide eyes. "Maybe some salty fries and a milkshake….and just too much ketchup." It was making my mouth water; I hadn't had a good meal since before that party. After that, it had been nothing but beer. My stomach grumbled as if to remind me it was empty.

"We'll get out of here soon. Promise," I told her, but a doubtful look crossed her face. No wonder, since it was currently a promise I couldn't possibly keep. I hated breaking promises on the best of days. Holding onto Katy's hand, I edged open another door opposite the one with the now broken doll.

It was a square room with nothing inside. It was only a gray room, each one appearing exactly the same. The floor was slick with…water? _Thank God it's not blood, _I thought, since that's what I was expecting when I glanced down. There was too much blood in this place already.

"Don't close the door," I instructed Katy, fearing that if it was closed, it would mimic the other walls and we might not find our way out. Katy gazed about and then simply decided to lean against it in order to hold it open.

"Nathan…this room is pointless," she observed, studying it with calculating eyes. There was a soft, clicking noise and I searched for the source of it. "Nathan—"

"Shh!" I held a finger to my lips and listened. That was when Katy heard it, too. Tilting her head, she caught on, her lips thinning into one line. Slowly, something above my head caught my sight. "Duck," I ordered Katy, just as I had once told Cynthia in the subway.

Just then, a series of spikes shot down from the ceiling and stopped mere inches above our head. It reminded me of the Borely Haunted Mansion from Silent Hill 3. Katy gasped as the spikes lightly grazed her brown hair before lifting again. That had been the purpose of this room, a kind of scare for us to walk into.

"That was close," Katy mumbled as we back-stepped out of the room. There were about ten other rooms for us to try and I had a feeling our time was limited. Pointing to the next one, Katy rushed to it and opened the door. Holding my breath, I followed inside. _No spikes, no monsters, so far so good, _I thought.

It was a normal hospital room with a bed and a wheelchair near the door. As I moved to the bed, I found an ampoule and a health drink.

"Jackpot," I exclaimed, forcing the items into any available pockets I could find. Katy, however, was staring at something in the corner. She was standing near the wheelchair and her face was ashen, as if she had just seen a ghost. "Katy?" Hastily, I went to stand next to her, scalpel at the ready.

"Nathan, the wheelchair," she motioned towards it with a finger. My eyes focused on it, but I could not see anything unusual. It was an old wheelchair and it was still, placed at the foot of the bed. I shrugged cluelessly.

"I don't see anything wrong with it," I stated, facing her. Katy shook her head once and gestured to the chair again. It was then I realized she wasn't pointing to the chair, but to something beyond the chair. Katy was addressing the shadows that lingered on the wall, behind the chair. There was the figure of the wheelchair and…

"Do you see it?" Katy finally tore her eyes away to watch my face as it became hard and pale. There was the shadow of the wheelchair, but something else was there, too. As I watched, a shadow of a person fell into the chair, though there wasn't anyone sitting there now. Then, its head shifted as if it were staring at us. It stayed that way for a long minute before rising again, showing its true height. The shadow grew taller and taller as it seemed to come closer, until it nearly covered the whole wall.

_"Leave,"_ the windy, hoarse voice gathered in my ears. I didn't know if I imagined it or not, but suddenly I was rushing through the door and attempting to slow my racing heart. Katy was beside me, her eyes dark with dangerous understanding. How much had she faced?

"Did you….did you hear that, too?" Katy nodded and frowned. My hands were on my knees and my lungs were burning for air. What the hell was that? A ghost?

"Apparently, we weren't welcome," she whispered, more to herself than to me. Katy eyed the hospital door for another moment and then walked on, forcing me to quit breathing and start alongside her. Without thinking, I grabbed her arm and stalled her.

"Katy, you've been through this before. How…how much have you seen?" Some part of me really did not want to know the answer, but Katy opened her mouth and all my resistance melted away.

"It was nothing but insanity, Nathan. I've seen….I've seen enough," she said before wrenching her hand back and starting up the hall without waiting for me. It was then I knew all my quick progress towards Katy had banished into thin air.

…

_Katy_

_Why, the nerve of him….asking about that nightmare now,_ I thought angrily as I strode up the hallway. Nathan's footsteps matched mine and I knew he was following; he had said he wouldn't let me out of his sight. Well, if I had faced this insanity before, then why did I need someone like him? _I can handle myself…I've survived before. How bad can a killer like Walter Sullivan be?_

Bad, I knew. Right then, I didn't care. I was fuming so much at Nathan's bluntness; I felt I could take him on at that moment, even without a weapon. Actually, I had been doing just fine in my apartment. At least, until Walter had literally stabbed me in the back. Before then, I was doing fine.

Choosing a door at random, I darted inside before giving Nathan a chance to catch up. That ghost or phantom or whatever had shaken me up, but I wasn't showing it, was I? _Never show fear…that's how you survive in Silent Hill, _I reminded myself, keeping my emotions in check.

The room consisted of a broken hospital bed, all bloody and ravaged. The steel edges were bent at odd angles and bloody footsteps traced a path to the door. Stuck in the ripped mattress was an axe. Its head was rusty, but it felt powerful in my hands. Nathan entered the room and immediately noticed the item in my hands. _Hmmm…he looks a little jealous. Good._

"Looks like I found my weapon," I said, swinging the axe for emphasis. Nathan's expression darkened and he couldn't help but stare down at his little scalpel.

"Hey, why do you get the better weapon?" Nathan sounded offended, which made me smile a bit. My hand curled around the handle of the axe and I dropped it to my side.

"Because. _I_ have been through this before, remember? Besides, finders keepers," I teased. Even to me, I sounded more than a bit childish. Nathan sighed and nodded once, avoiding the topic altogether. Something else caught his eye and he bent forward towards the bottom of the mattress. Hidden there was a shiny gold key. Why hadn't I seen that? _You're off your game, Katy. Or maybe something else has your attention, _a voice scolded me. That was ridiculous.

"Well, what do you know? So, this means…" I went to grab the key, but Nathan held it just out of reach. It annoyed me, he could see that, and he began to laugh a little. Why must he be so frustrating a person? Why did I have to be stuck with him?

"This means….it's time to get the hell out of here."

…

**There you go. The next chapter will finish the hospital world and then….the rest of the nightmare begins, especially since Walter is so desperate to kill Katy and Nathan. I hope you enjoyed reading, everyone! Many thanks to those who reviewed. **

**By the way, I don't know whether you guys noticed the shadow with the wheelchair. Every time I play, I see that shadow getting up and then sitting in the wheelchair. Very strange, indeed. So, I just decided to add it in for fun. (= **


	16. Death's Hand

**Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill 4. I only own Katy and Nathan. **

**A/N: Hey, everyone! I tried to make this chapter as long as possible for you (7 pages, actually). Thank you for the reviews; I'm glad you guys are enjoying the story. As you'll notice, I also tried incorporating more interaction between Nathan and Katy. So, enjoy and let me know what you think. (= **

**On another note, I will give a hint as to what may appear in this chapter: Katy has a big head (hehehe). **

**Chapter Sixteen: Death's Hand**

_Katy_

With the axe in hand, I allowed Nathan to guide the way to our next destination. Truth be told, I was always more of a leader than a follower, but the task seemed to help Nathan feel he was doing something important, so I gradually relented. _Men, _I scoffed silently with a small smile as I eyed Nathan's back.

"Hey, I thought you said we were getting out of here, oh wise leader," I reminded him as we travelled farther away from the stairwell. Aches and cramps tormented the space behind my knees and I cursed the elevator for not working. _Look on the bright side, Katy. You don't have a nasty leg wound…yet,_ I tried to make the situation seem better, but only succeeded in reminiscing about the time a Double-Head chomped on my leg.

"I know, I know. I just…I want to see if there's anything else in these rooms, something else we can use. Health drinks, you know," Nathan explained, waving a hand absently in my direction. I sighed. Translation: he wanted a cooler weapon, maybe one even cooler than my axe.

I rolled my eyes and longed for a health drink to take away the stiffness in my back. Nathan was the one carrying them. When I had asked for one, he had refused to oblige, informing me that we should not waste our resources. _Oh, for God's sake, I'm in pain here,_ I recalled muttering as I glared at him. Then, his carefree response: _deal with it._

"You're a Silent Hill gamer, aren't you? You should know what's in those rooms," I pointed out now, coming back to the situation at hand. The hairs on the back of my neck bristled and I cautiously glanced over my shoulder—nothing out of the ordinary. _Watch out, Walter. I have an axe now. Next time we meet, I'll be prepared,_ I vowed to the empty hall behind me, all the while running the palm of my hand over the smooth wooden handle of the weapon.

"It'll only be for a minute," Nathan was insisting, his hand wrapping around the doorknob of a hospital room. Annoyance burst through every nerve in my body; _I _was supposed to be the one with experience and here he was, ignoring me.

"You don't get it, do you? In this nightmare, every minute—every _second_—counts. A minute could mean the difference between life and death," I advised him, unintentionally handing him a lecture on a silver platter.

Nathan was halfway through with turning the old, brass doorknob when he paused. In movements akin to slow motion, he faced me with guarded eyes and a smirk clear on his face.

"And here I thought you'd be unwilling to share anything of your experiences, Katy," he replied sarcastically, alerting me to my slip-up. Hadn't I gotten mad for his questions about my nightmare? Seeing my surprise, Nathan slipped out of view and left me standing alone in the hall.

My shock came on full-force. Nathan hadn't even been prying this time; I had personally handed it out to him of my own accord. _No more talking about it. No more,_ I thought. At least I hadn't told him anything substantial. Still…_who does he think he is?_

"Oh, fine. Have it your way," I mumbled and threw my hands in the air out of irritation before entering the room where Nathan had vanished. He was simply standing there, staring at a blank wall. Was he trying to play some kind of joke? The room was completely empty; there was nothing useful whatsoever. _Talk about wasting time…_

"Nathan, quit playing around. Let's go," I urged him, taking ahold of his forearm. His back was facing me and the muscles underneath his shirt were tense. My anger rushed out of me as I sensed that there was something wrong.

As I approached, Nathan's eyes met mine and I did not like what I saw there. His eyes were wide as saucers and scrutinizing me with great intensity. It almost felt like they could bore right through me. Nathan stared hard at me, then at the wall, and back again. What was his problem?

"Katy…you don't see it?" It was nearly the same question I had asked him when I had been watching that shadow sitting in the wheelchair—at first, I thought he must be mocking me. No, there was sincerity written in his eyes; he meant what he said.

My own eyes trailed to the blank wall. What was I supposed to be seeing? Nathan's head went back and forth as though he were watching an intense tennis game. My brow furrowed in confusion.

"No…all I see is a wall and an empty room," I told him, gesturing around. It was then that I realized Silent Hill was playing a twisted game on Nathan. The two of us might as well have been in separate dimensions, for Nathan was now seeing something sinister. Something that I was unable to see at all.

…..

_Nathan_

Katy's head was huge. It sounded like an insult, but it was true and it was the only thing I could process. Actually, there were two of her; the normal version standing beside me, gazing at me as if I were insane, and the enlarged version only a few inches away. It was surreal, especially since Katy was oblivious to it.

Standing close to the big head, I only reached her lips in height. Every detail was magnified; every hair and every bit of skin. Her eyes, normally sparkling and full of determination, were dark and unstable. Every time I moved, those eyes wobbled and tracked me.

The real Katy's eyes were concerned and puzzled at the same time. Even so, _her_ eyes were one of the best sights that I have seen in this nightmare. Katy's small hand was hanging onto my arm and it was probably the only thing that kept me from making an outburst altogether.

"Nathan, what's wrong?" Katy voice was becoming unsettled and I understood that I was worrying her. The axe was shaking in her hand and I attempted to submerge myself in her mind. How would she be able to fight something she could not see?

"Uh…don't worry. It's…it's nothing. You're right, let's go," I agreed, laying a hand on her back to move her toward the door. Katy fought me by pressing her hands on either side of the door, refusing to depart from the room. Turning, she crossed her arms defiantly.

"Nathan, you're lying. You're not a very good liar, you know. I'm not leaving until you tell me what it is," she stated, gazing over my shoulder at the Katy head that she couldn't see. _Stubborn, isn't she? _

"Do you remember the huge Eileen head in the game?" I figured she would and the recognition suddenly dawned on her face. Part of me wondered how good of a gamer she was—maybe if we found a way out, she could show me.

"Yes, I remember. It was definitely odd," she said, nodding enthusiastically. That head was still watching me and it was starting to give me uneasy feelings. The normal Katy I could tolerate. It was just the strange, unrealistic version I did not like.

"Yeah, well…." I motioned to the space behind me and waited for her to catch on. Katy's face lit up as she realized what I meant. Then, she began laughing a gentle laugh. It was the best sound in the world, right then.

"You mean…you're actually seeing _my_ head? So, what do you think?" Katy lifted her normal-sized head and tilted it slightly, her brown hair cascading along her jaw. My first thought was: _how in the world is she not disturbed by this? _Then…

"I like the real you better. That way, you're not as superior to me," I told her as I moved past her. I wondered if she would accept those words as an insult or a compliment, or maybe a little of both. Katy joined my side as I started for the stairwell—that experience had done it for me. Out of the corner of my eye, I studied her and, to my pleasant surprise, she was trying hard not to smile.

…..

_Katy_

_I like the real you better,_ Nathan had said. For some reason, that made me feel….good. It made my heart feel less heavy than it had before and I did not want to consider the reasons for it.

The stairwell was cold, especially since my feet were bare. The cement gave me chills that rose through my body and my hand gripped the metal railing as we descended. The closer we got to the bottom, the more Nathan's eyes narrowed and grew dark with concentration. Something was bothering him.

"What's wrong?" I stopped on the third to last step before the middle platform dividing the levels. Nathan's eyes wandered, occasionally taking in the shadows that clung to the walls, and then turned to me. His expression was grim and serious.

"The last time I was here, something chased me up the stairs. I was just wondering if it was going to come back," he said. Immediately, an image of Walter filled my head and I involuntarily shivered. "Cold?" Nathan had noticed, though both of us knew that wasn't the reason for the shivering.

"Yes. I've always hated the cold," I mentioned, rubbing my hands over my arms for warmth and comfort. _I've always hated being afraid,_ I felt like adding, but decided not to. The axe was beside my head and I stared at it, as if I just remembered I was holding it. _Nothing to be afraid of. No big deal. _

Nathan and I reluctantly challenged the stairs before us, taking them one step at a time. His eyes would often stray to the stairs above us, in case the door ever opened or something appeared. I wanted to assure him it would be okay, but he'd probably be offended at the gesture.

The first floor was quiet and so I already hated it. Silence could be dangerous in a town like this. Nathan checked both directions, like he was doing something as mindless as crossing the street, and then started for the elevator. We walked single file down the hall; as he became intent on closing in on the elevator, I would watch for any threats over my shoulder. _Where is he? Is he laying low, waiting to make his move? _

"Oh," I gasped as I stumbled right into Nathan's back. He had halted in his tracks. "Nathan, what the—" Swiftly, his hand came around my mouth and hushed me. As he moved behind me, I suddenly saw the problem.

There was a Twin monster blocking our path. It was creepy, the way it stood still like a Mannequin, its black slits-for-eyes staring directly at us. The way it was positioned, it could have been a dark statue that someone had constructed. _Oh, great,_ I thought as I watched it.

"No…sudden…movements," Nathan whispered in my ear, his breath tickling the skin there. My lips were set in a thin line as I contemplated our path. These things were _fast_—I recalled it from the game.

Gently, I took a light step forward. Nathan's hands held onto my shoulders and I gave him a hard look, telling him silently that I knew what I was doing. _Trust me,_ I tried to convey to him. Nathan's head dipped; he understood. One of his eyebrows arched in warning: _don't mess up._

One step, two steps, I inched closer to the monster. It was still staring at me, showing no life whatsoever. My foot came down in a third step and instantly, I caught movement. The Twin lifted its hand and pointed it at me, as if to say "stay back."

"Katy," Nathan softly called out. One of his feet was raised from the floor as he meant to come to me, but I motioned for him to stop. For some reason, Nathan listened and he held back.

The Twin kept its hand up, once again mimicking a statue. The axe felt heavy in my hands as I imagined swinging it downwards into one of its heads. Every step I took, I readied it a bit more until it was level with my shoulder.

_Here, little monster. Good monster, _I thought as I closed in on it. How far would it let me get before it moved? Gazing at the hideous monster that was a manifestation of little Billy and Miriam Locane—two of Walter's earlier victims—I knew I would only get one good blow to begin with.

Nathan's eyes were burning into my back; I could feel them watching me. It was while I was taking my most recent step that the Twin monster had had enough waiting.

Without warning, it sprung up and leapt for me. It was like trying to watch the speed of light—one moment the monster was just standing there and in the next second it was plunging its twin heads into my abdomen.

_Whoosh!_ The air was emptied from my lungs and the axe went flying from my hands. My body was sprawled on the tiled floor and Nathan was there in an instant, towering over me. The Twin monster swiped at Nathan with one of its gruesome, gray claws which was the size of a tennis racket. Nathan ducked and dashed for the axe, grabbing it before the Twin monster could right itself.

Recovering, I jumped up and started for the monster. Lashing out, I beat it repeatedly with my fists and legs. The Twin didn't seem to know which one of us to focus on, so it settled for me. Spinning, it smothered me with its heavy body, the both of us falling to the floor. _Oh, get this thing off me!_

Its gaunt face was inches away from mine and its toothless mouth was wide as if it meant to swallow me. Its claws were scratching at my skin and clothes, tearing as much as it could. _Nathan, where are you?_

Just then, the Twin's face exploded in a fountain of blood. The blade of the axe was poking out from its eye and then disappeared as Nathan took dealt another powerful strike to its head. Warm blood splattered across my face as the Twin monster was cut in half, severed into two separate bodies.

Its black eyes glared at me and then its face collapsed on my body, the life leaving it. Paralyzed, I remained trapped beneath it until Nathan pulled me out, wiping off as much of the blood as possible.

"I…I hate those things," I said as I stared at the dead mass laying on the floor. It shouldn't have shocked me much since this was Silent Hill, but the act of watching the monster die had thrown me back into my memories, of those times when I had killed in order to survive. _I had done that before…so why does it scare me so much now? _

It was then that I realized what was bothering me. Billy and Miriam had been slaughtered by Walter, murdered….with an axe. The sight of that axe buried in that monster's head reminded me of _him_. _You did this to them,_ I thought bitterly, almost revolted by the dead monster at my feet.

Nathan was saying something into my ear and his hands was shaking me like a ragdoll. My mind snapped back to reality—if this even could be called reality.

"Katy! Are you alright?" Nathan's eyes were locked onto mine and they actually appeared worried. Was he afraid I was already losing it? That I would snap at the first sight of blood or horror?

"I'm fine," I shot out, removing his hands from my arms. Nathan looked astounded at my sudden chilly attitude, but then that calm mask of his slammed down to cover it. _I'm sorry,_ I should have said. Maybe I was afraid he would answer: _it's okay._ It wasn't okay.

"You have some…blood there," he said, pointing to my cheek. Quickly, I brought my hand up to brush it away.

"You get used to it after a while in Silent Hill," I replied, shrugging. Nathan nodded and frowned as he studied me. Did I have more blood on me?

Finally, he strode away and gave the monster a wide berth, but not before wrenching the axe from its skull. It gave a sickening, wet sound as it detached, making my stomach coil. _I'm the one with the experience, but he's the one saving my life,_ I thought with a bit of amazement.

"Unless you want Walter to find you, I suggest you catch up," Nathan yelled out to me from down the hallway. Walter's name alone assisted me with my decision.

Instead of wasting time, I stepped over the Twin monster and practically ran to Nathan, feeling every second that Death's hand was sliding a cold nail down my back and tracing the fateful numbers I knew were carved there.


	17. Not Invincible

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill or anything in relation to it. I only own Nathan and Katy. **_

_**A/N: Once again, the reviews are great. It's really good to know that you some of you think my story is worthy of publication (unfortunately, can't be done in the fanfic universe here). Your support gives me loads of inspiration. Here's to you, readers! **_

_**Chapter Seventeen: Not Invincible**_

_**Nathan**_

Katy was in shock; that much I knew. Wherever she had gone inside her mind, she had not yet returned. The mask of strength she wore had broken due to that Twin monster and I had seen the damage underneath. It had shaken her badly.

As I pressed the button for the elevator, the doors slid open only to reveal an empty shaft. An iron gate blocked a secret pathway leading deeper into Walter's nightmare world. While I checked for the key in my pocket, I allowed my eyes to surreptitiously focus on Katy, who was standing close beside me. _She's seen better days, _I thought with a strike of worry. Then again, why should I be concerned when she'd seen this same thing before?

Katy's brown hair hung like a curtain across her face as her eyes inevitably found the body of the Twin monster again. Those eyes matched the ones I had seen on the large head version and it made me pause. What troubling thoughts brewed behind those eyes?

"Hah! There it is," I exclaimed, trying to bring her back to reality. Katy slowly noticed the small key in the palm of my hand and nodded absently. Was she that disturbed by the Twin monster? "What happened to the brave, invincible Katy?" At this, her head snapped to me and there was a fierce sorrow written in those eyes.

"I'm not invincible," she said sharply, as if I was crazy to suggest otherwise. "I'm human just like…" Her voice trailed off and her eyes strayed to the lifeless corpse again.

"Just like Billy and Miriam used to be?" A mix of sadness and surprise filled her face and that was when I realized what was bothering her. _I_ had done this to her, it had been brought upon by my violent end of the Twin monster.

"I'm not invincible," she repeated softly, more to herself than to me. Those three words struck a chord somewhere inside me. How much pain and suffering had Katy been through? She was not invincible, just someone who was forced to face these unspeakable horrors, forced to shed the blood of another in hopes of seeing the end of the nightmare that plagued her. It made her a survivor. Just because you survived once does not make you invincible-the clock resumes ticking for you a little while longer.

"Katy…sorry," I reluctantly apologized. True, she made it clear she did not want to talk about that other nightmare, but it did not mean I had to pretend it didn't leave a mark on her soul. It was always difficult for me to admit to my mistakes, to admit I had faults. "I never thought-"

"I don't need your sympathy," Katy interrupted. She ripped the key from my hand and went to unlock the iron gate. I knew then that Katy was much like me; she refused to look a mistake in the eye. Instead, she would retreat and harden the shell around her like a fortress.

_Click!_ The gate was unlocked and Katy only glanced over her shoulder once before heading down the staircase that lay ahead.

"Are you coming or not?" For a minute, I remained at the top of the stairs and watched Katy as the distance between us increased. The axe was firmly held in my left hand, the blood of the Twin monster tinting the blade. Combing a hand through my disheveled hair, I followed in Katy's footsteps.

Somehow, our roles had shifted in the matter of a minute. A minute could mean the difference between life and death. A minute was the length of time it took for Katy to accept leadership and for me to become a follower.

…

_Katy_

_I'm not invincible…_My own words rang through my ears, carrying with them a note of truth. I am not invincible-every time I felt the sensation of pain or the terrible spill of my blood, I had recognized this fact. So, why was it such a slap in the face now? What if Nathan hadn't been there to finish off the Twin monster?

_Never show your emotions, Katy. That's how you survive in Silent Hill,_I reminded myself. The only problem is that it's getting harder and harder to do that. How could I not picture Billy and Miriam Locane with the swing of that deadly axe? In my head, I could hear the announcer from Silent Hill 2: _…chopped to pieces with an axe! Torn flesh…smashed bones…splattered blood…A terrible tragedy…_

Nathan's footfalls sounded on the steps behind me and I attempted to regain my composure. I had to get a grip; if I didn't, I would certainly lose it soon.

There was a copper-shaded door in front of me, the symbol of the Order etched into its surface. I failed to register it until Nathan cocked his head in question: _what are you waiting for?_

The door had a sliding brass lock-it made me think of the lock on my apartment door. My fingers worked over the cool metal and I couldn't help but wonder: was this lock here to prevent our escape? Or was I Silent Hill's Pandora, inviting something worse in?

….

_Katy_

The deepest part of Walter—that's where we had to go to be rid of him and this nightmare. To me, it was ironic. We were being forced to venture into the nightmare that we were desperately trying to escape.

It was foggy, foggier than I had ever seen Silent Hill. I reached my hand forward for something to use as a guide, and my hand easily disappeared into the thick smog that wrapped around us. Nathan and I were at the top of the Circle, as I had dubbed it. It was the impossibly long spiral that led further into this nightmare, first allowing us to experience each world once again.

"Ready?" Nathan lifted the axe onto his shoulder like a woodsman and gave me a tight half-smile. Breathing deeply, I nodded and we began to descend into a darker hell; there was no turning back now. _Easy steps, Katy. Nothing to fear. _

It felt like we had been walking for hours before Nathan broke the overwhelming silence that separated us like a brick wall.

"I know you're not invincible. I was just…impressed by how much you could handle," he said, making my heart skip a beat. _Impressed? _"You know, most girls would be like Eileen and just complain or act clingy. You…you deal with the challenge as it comes at you," he explained, tilting his head in my direction. A warm feeling was spreading through my body as I took in his words.

"Maybe…maybe we shouldn't be facing this together. If you stay near me, you know Walter will search for me first. He'll only attack you if you're in his way," I suggested, thinking I couldn't risk his life for mine, no matter if I was somewhat upset around him or not. Nathan's expression became astounded and then slightly amused.

"It's funny. When I played this game, I always figured I would ditch Eileen if I were actually living it. That way, Walter might not find me until later. Now…" His voice faded as he considered his next words. _Now what? _I felt like asking, but waited it out. "Now, I don't think I could let you face him alone. You think I want your blood on my conscience?"

Despite my recent low mood, I smiled in response. Nathan wasn't going to leave me and save himself, and I was grateful for that. Besides, he probably wanted to personally test-run that axe on Walter.

"Thank you," I said. From my peripheral vision, I could see Nathan nod once. It was nice to know that someone was intent on saving my life instead of having me save theirs.

"No problem," he mumbled back, as if it bothered him to say so. The Circle smoothed out to a flat platform. Wire and metal grating surrounded the Circle along with broken pieces of tiled wall, turned red with blood. Oil lamps swung from hooks even though there wasn't any wind, casting a golden glow over our heads. I didn't notice it since I was focusing on Nathan, but the shadows around the Circle were a little darker than they had been at the very top. The fog sifted around my ankles with a grayish-green hue.

"Ladies first," Nathan gestured to the door before us. The Order's symbol was also carved into this door. How many times had I seen this symbol? It never meant anything good.

The handle creaked as I twisted it and suddenly Nathan and I were standing on a metal catwalk over open air. It took my eyes a moment to adjust to the dim setting, but it looked like we were standing in some type of boiler room. It was cold; my skin became ridden with gooseflesh.

The door slammed behind us as I took the first steps forward, moving along the catwalk with my bare feet padding across it. The catwalk was extensive, but eventually led to a single bare door. As I was about to open it, Nathan gripped my wrist and stopped me.

His other shot forth and picked something up from a muddled shelf nearby. He lifted it to the narrow line of light and my eyes went wide with content. It was a Sword of Obedience, one of five that would allow us to strike down any ghosts that proved a threat.

"I have a feeling we're going to need this," Nathan said as he slipped the knife into the waistband of his jeans. Immediately, I could not help but pout selfishly.

"So, now you get the axe _and_ the Sword of Obedience?" It was meant as a joke, but Nathan gazed at me seriously and removed the Sword, handing it over. Carefully, I took it and touched a finger to its sharp, triangular point.

"I hope you have quick reflexes," Nathan told me, motioning to the Sword. I'd have to be quick if I was going to pin down a ghost. Holding the Sword in my hand, I offered him a reassuring look.

"No fear." With that, I led us through the only door we could take and felt my feet slow in pace. The gray walls were familiar and there was the hollow sound of a train from somewhere below our feet. Nathan's eyes grew dark as he also accepted this world for what it was. It was the Subway world all over again.

….

**Uh-oh…the subway again. Will Katy be able to use the Sword on Cynthia? Will Walter make another appearance? We will have to see…thanks for reading! (= **


	18. Distraction

**Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill or anything in relation to it. I only own Nathan and Katy. **

**A/N: It's been a few days or so since my last update, but the next chapter is here! I've got a lot of work this week and this was probably my only chance to update. Tests, finals….blah, blah, blah. All the gross stuff that I really hate dealing with when it comes to fanfiction. **

**Anyway, enjoy the chapter, everyone! **

**Chapter Eighteen: Distraction**

_Nathan_

_I don't want to be here,_ I kept thinking as Katy and I re-entered the subway. Honestly, I'd rather be anywhere than stuck in this nightmare, but the subway irked me the most. It brought on a flood of memories, of failing to save Cynthia. _I should have known there was no point in trying to save her. Walter would have gotten his way, no matter what._

Katy's face was slightly pinched with determination, the Sword of Obedience clutched in her fist and ready to be wielded. This was her first time in the subway world, I realized with a splash of envy. _Lucky you, _I thought. She had played the game like everyone else, but I had experienced it first-hand.

_Hehehehehe…hehehehehe…._The disruption of cackling bounced towards us, reverberating off the gray walls and repeating like a broken record. Up ahead, a hunched figure loomed into view, hopping across the floor like a kangaroo. Its lengthy claws scraped the ground as it hopped along, creating an ear-piercing sound similar to nails sliding against the surface of a chalkboard.

"You ready this time?" I gave Katy a sidelong glance as I poised the heavy axe for attack. In response, Katy tightened her grip on the Sword; it only worked on ghosts, but it could still serve as a formidable weapon. The corners of her mouth lifted in a confident smile and her eyes narrowed in concentration.

"Ready," she assured me through nearly gritted teeth. The monster lurched forward, landing only three feet away. Its small eyes glowed yellow as it surveyed us, its prey. Bringing the axe down, I managed to bury the head into its shoulder.

It was like a pomegranate bursting open to reveal its innards; the monster's skin peeled back, its shoulder split in two and became divided by the axe, the gloopy red overflow of blood cascading down like a crimson waterfall. And still the thing chortled away, as if it were the funniest joke in the world.

Ripping the axe from the monster's flesh, a spray of blood shot out and drenched my shirt. Katy, ninja that she apparently was, had somehow snuck around the creature. Now, she leaped up and struck the monster in the back with the Sword, submerging it to the triangular hilt, all without the shattering interruption of a battle cry. _Way to go, Katy,_ I couldn't help but to silently congratulate her performance.

It was like watching a ballet—Katy matched the monster's moves well and, whenever it swung a claw at her, she ducked and disappeared from view, leaving an empty space where she had been only a moment before. Small and swift, Katy was amazing at dodging any blows that were sent her way. At one point, her eyes flashed to me and she caught me studying her.

"What are you waiting for? Fight," she ordered me and it was like a live wire had restarted my nerves, causing me to begin moving again. A sharp set of nails nearly caught Katy by the throat, but she moved quickly and jumped onto the monster's back, digging the Sword into its skin. The jumping hyena tossed back its scarred head and forced Katy off its back, sending her flying to the floor. In an instant, she was right back on her feet, despite the obvious bruising she'd have later on. _That's gonna hurt later, _I thought as I chopped away part of the hyena's leg, making it stumble.

Simultaneously, Katy and I bore our weapons unto the monster—the axe between its eyes and the Sword in its lower back. The monster's body convulsed violently and its head whirled about, unsure which target to focus on more. It thrashed its limbs around wildly and spun in circles, the handle of the axe protruding from its head. Like a snap of the fingers, all of its energy emptied out and it leaned forward, crashing to the floor. The axe's handle hit the ground and the weapon burst out of the back of the monster's head. Automatically, Katy raised her bare foot and slammed it down into the monster.

"We make a good team," I pointed out as Katy snuffed out the hyena's life. Sweeping her brown hair from her face, her eyes found mine and she gave me a half-smile.

"I suppose we do. Walter should be scared," she replied before bending over to retrieve the Sword of Obedience. Likewise, I tugged on the axe until it detached from the corpse with a wet _plop_ sound. Holding it in my hands, blood and all, I gazed at Katy with something close to admiration. "We should get going. You know, get the hell out of here," she quoted me, even going as far as using air quotation marks. _Let's not and say we did, _I wanted to tell her.

Katy darted forward, unafraid of the winding gray hallways ahead. My chest tightened as a mental image of one of the game's scenes appeared in my mind, the one where Cynthia's ghost shows up. She would be here. For me, it was the part I was most dreading.

…..

_Katy_

"Best weapon," Nathan's voice floated across to me and shattered the wall of silence between us as we ventured along the corridor, the hyena having been taken down in our wake. At first I was confused as I struggled to figure out what he meant by his statement—did he mean that the axe in his hands was his ideal choice of weapon? Then, I tilted my head questioningly in his direction and caught the glimmer of a challenge in his eyes. It was a game to him and he expected me to play along.

"Flamethrower from Silent Hill 3," I responded, unable to keep a quirky grin from sliding onto my face. In my mind, I pictured Heather, the flamethrower in her hands and a burst of flames torching some monster in her path. Nathan scoffed at my answer almost immediately; I don't know if he really thought my answer ridiculous or if he was deliberately doing it to get a rise out of me.

"Are you kidding? The submachine gun is way cooler," he retorted, and suddenly I was hooked into our little game. Now I perfectly understood Nathan's intentions: it was a way to escape the nightmare that held us in its grip. For a few moments, we could concentrate on something other than the horrors that lay ahead.

"Yeah, right. Except for the fact that there are never enough bullets for the submachine gun, therefore rendering it completely pointless. The flamethrower has infinite ammunition," I pointed out, knowing he couldn't argue against it. Nathan opened his mouth to protest, but he apparently had nothing to say.

"Fine. You get a point for that one," Nathan said reluctantly, as if he didn't want to admit to my logic. The hallway opened up into a larger area; the escalator was on our left, its downward steps flowing endlessly. Nathan jerked his head to the right, signaling our only route.

"We're playing for points?" Nathan gaped at me like I had three heads instead of one.

"Of course we are! Otherwise, how would we know who won?" The two of us turned the corner, the restroom signs hanging above our heads. The game was working—it helped me to avoid thinking of potential threats, Walter, and the ghost of Cynthia that I knew would be coming.

"What would the winner get as a prize?" I wasn't sure what kind of prize existed in such a dark, haunted place, but I was sure Nathan would find a way around it. His face shifted, the lines becoming deeper as he considered it. Like a light bulb flashing on, his face lit up and his smile grew twice as big as before, his white teeth gleaming in the shallow light.

"How about this: the loser has to buy the other a drink after we're finished with this hellhole," Nathan proposed. Suddenly, I noticed the dark circles under his eyes, the pale pallor of his skin, the forced smile for my benefit. _He looks like he needs a drink,_ I thought with a bit of compassion, certainly more than I was used to. _Still doesn't mean I'm going to lose, though._ My competitive side was kicking in and instantly I was shaking on the deal we'd just made.

"Best ally?" Maria and Eileen popped into my head and I wondered which one Nathan would choose. He rolled his eyes, like he thought my challenge was typical. Somehow, I already knew which one he'd picked.

"Maria, definitely," he stated, shrugging. The way he spoke, he made the answer sound completely obvious. Now, it was my turn to give him a skeptical look as we passed by the bathrooms.

"Is that just because you think Maria is hotter than Eileen?" I teased Nathan and he pretended to be offended by my accusation. Laughter jumped from my mouth and the sound of it in the empty hallway was strange, as if it didn't quite belong.

"Katy, I for one am not that shallow. Besides, I happen to think it is because your fighting skills put Eileen to shame," he explained. _Another compliment? _Something inside me filled with appreciation and delight at having won a compliment in such a dreary world. It has been a while since I have earned a reasonable compliment from anyone. "Bathrooms?"

"Huh?" My mind awoke from its wandering and I noticed that Nathan had stopped, his hand gesturing to the two bathrooms. Who knew what could be in there, waiting for us? In any case, bathrooms were never a good place in Silent Hill games; I knew that from experience. "No, thanks. Let's keep going," I decided, leading away from the bathrooms.

"So, do I get a point for that answer?" Nathan had returned to the game as if it had never been interrupted. His words echoed in my mind and I would have probably given him one hundred points for that compliment…if I wasn't hell-bent on showing him I could beat him at his game.

"Hmmm….I guess I could give you a point," I said, trying to hide my gleeful smile. It kept slipping until I couldn't hold it in anymore. Lifting the hair from the back of my neck—it was extremely warm in this subway—I searched for another challenge. "Best—"

"Uh-uh. It's my turn, remember? Scariest monster," he intercepted me, his eyebrows rising in amusement. Immediately, a name came into my head and I knew there could probably be no other answer except the one I would give. _Let's see him argue with this one, _I thought as I felt the name on my tongue.

"Pyramid Head." The name was spooky when it was said in this dim hall. I almost expected Pyramid Head to show up out of nowhere, his Great Knife in tow and screeching as he dragged it along the floor. _Thank God there are no nurses around,_ the thought entered my mind and with it a disturbing mental image that I desperately shook off.

"Well, I can't argue with that. Two points because I'm feeling generous," Nathan said as we stepped into the main section of the subway. It struck me as odd that only a few hours ago, I had been standing among a countless number of people while Cynthia's body was escorted from her murder site. Now, the turnstiles remained unmoved and the offices were bare, lacking any sign of other humans. Had Nathan witnessed Cynthia's death? Did he even try to stop it?

"Nathan, about Cynthia—" My question was already there, ready to be unleashed when Nathan held a firm hand to my shoulder. For a minute, I assumed he did not want to talk about it, until I saw where his eyes were directed. In a shadowy corner, a slim figure was curled into a ball, dark hair spilling along the tiles like blood. A cold chill spiraled down my back, as cold as the blade of the Sword that was in my hand. _Cynthia…_

Without turning his head away from the ghost that had once been a living, breathing girl, Nathan's brown eyes became grave and his voice came through clenched teeth, as ominous as one who speaks of death itself.

"She's here."

…..

**Uh-oh, here comes Cynthia. Will Katy use the Sword of Obedience? Who knows (except me, of course)? **

**By the way, that game that Nathan and Katy were playing was inspired by a book that I have just recently finished (**_**Perfect Match**_** by Jodi Picoult, actually—it's a very good book if anyone is interested). I decided to throw something like it in here, just to lighten the situation a little. Plus, it means more interaction and that's always a good thing. (= **

**Until next time, readers! **


	19. Cynthia's End

**Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill 4 or anything related to it. I only own my characters, Nathan and Katy.**

**A/N: Okay, so I guess I lied when I said I wouldn't be able to update again this week (which is good news for you guys). This chapter is going to be kind of different from the other ones, since it is going to be similar to a songfic. Don't worry-it's nothing too ridiculous; I'm just using the song Room of Angel. **

**By the way, thanks for the reviews. As always, they are amazing and fill me with incredible inspiration. I'm also glad some of you liked the idea of the points game; I just threw it in there because I thought it would be interesting for Katy and Nathan. Enjoy the chpater! **

**Chapter Nineteen: Cynthia's End**

_Nathan _

"She's here," I heard myself saying while my fears came true before my eyes. Cynthia was here-not in the flesh, but as a tragic spirit, one of Walter's victims, doomed to restlessly haunt this world. Unless we stopped her now, Cynthia would haunt the next worlds as well.

Her ghost crawled like a lizard along the floor, her limbs bent in impossible, crooked positions, and her dark hair trailing along behind her, a dark river against the light gray of the subway floor. In truth, she looked a little like Samara from _The Ring._

Beside me, a small gasp escaped Katy's lips and her eyes widened as though caught in headlights while Cynthia slithered forward, her deathly face shielded by the curtain that was her hair. Instinctively, I raised the axe to my shoulder and...I froze in place.

The curtain of ebony hair parted around Cynthia's face-oh, that twisted face of death-and an explosion of fresh memories swarmed my mind. Suddenly, I was transported back to the moment of Cynthia's untimely death, her silky voice beating through my ears. _No...not here, not now,_ I pleaded silently, but it was too late. Sucked into the whirlpool of the past, the memories eclipsed the Cynthia I was facing now. _Blood everyehere...make-up scattered on the floor..._

"Nathan, are you alright?" Katy's voice was soft and hard to hear as all other details slipped from my grasp, as I pictured myself pushing open that office door only to find...

...

_There was blood everywhere, a narrow river spilling beneath the door until it nearly grazed the toes of my shoes. Make-up scattered the floor; it must have belonged to Cynthia. Some of it skidded across the floor and into the shadows as I moved to press a hand against the smooth surface of the door, anticipating what lay on the other side. _

I'm already too late,_ I realized with a jab of disappointment as I pushed the office door open, only to find Cynthia's mangled body, lying in the center of a pool of her own blood. In my head, I distinctly heard the haunting notes of "Room of Angel", the song that accompanied Cynthia's slow death. _

You lie...silent there before me...

_Red, so much red covering every inch-I was surprised Cynthia had anything left in her body. I hoped that she had at least put up a good fight, that one drop of this crimson rain belonged to Walter. _

Your tears...they mean nothing to me...

_"Na...than," Cynthia moaned weakly, her eyelids mere slits as she strained to keep her eyes open. Tears had dried on her cheeks and a shiny new one slid across her skin, melting into her matted hair. Regardless of the crimson fluid, I knelt beside her and brushed a hand across hers. How much time did she have left? Not much, I knew. The hourglass of time was nearly finished with Cynthia, the last bits of life draining away. _

The wind...howling at the window...

_"I'm sorry. I tried to save you. I failed," I told her, though that last part came in the form of a whisper. Was I simply telling myself this; that I had failed to save another's life? All was lost in silence as I mourned for this girl whose life would soon be lost._

The love...you never gave...

_"This is...only a dream...right?" Cynthia was breathless, her tan skin losing its vibrant, healthy shade as Death clutched her soul. One of her nails stroked the palm of my hand and then dropped away. _

...I give to you...

_"Right. This is...only a dream," I lied, unable to bring myself to tell her the truth, that this was the last time she would take a breath in this life. My throat constricted as I imagined the result of her death, of what she would become. _Damn you, Walter. Damn you for doing this to her...

You really don't deserve it...

_Cynthia mustered up enough strength to place a hand lightly against my face and I did not have the will to remove it. Her body shook slightly as she coughed and spoke through a throat of blood. _

_"I never...got to do you that...special favor," she choked out. Her eyes were becoming glassy and her hand threatened to fall limp, but I reached up and held it there. It was all I could do for her now. _

But now...there's nothing you can do...

_"I feel...like I'm dying..." Cynthia whispered through barely parted lips. Her face was ashen, the fringes of her red lips a sickly blue hue. _

_"It'll be okay, Cynthia. The nightmare is over," I lied to her again-that was twice I'd done that to her, for her own good. "You'll be able to dream a better dream. I promise." _

So sleep...in your only memory...

_Cynthia was gone from this world, the life pouring from her like the blood before it. Finally, I lowered her hand until it was resting over her still heart. Gently, I laid a hand on her eyelids to make certain they were closed, to make sure Cynthia was allowed her final sleep. _

...of me...

_My eyes drank in the sight of those numbers on her delicate skin.16121. Cynthia was gone. Her essence could now only exist in my memory. _

Here's a lullaby to close your eyes...goodbye...

...

_Katy_

"Nathan, are you alright?" My tone was frantic, as well it should be. For one minute, Nathan was perfectly fine-prepared with the axe, eyes lucid as ever as Cynthia's ghost appeared from her hiding spot. The next minute, Nathan was frozen in shock, his gaze seemingly far off, like that of a daydreamer. _This is not the time to daydream,_ I thought with annoyance.

Cynthia was quick; she snaked across the ground towards Nathan, who accurately resembled a statue. Swiftly, I leaped in front of him before Cynthia could latch onto him. My head pounded with discomfort as the ghost came within an inch of our legs.

"Get lost," I growled as I jumped at the chance to strike her with the Sword of Obedience. Cynthia avoided the dagger's blade, squirming around my ankles and making me yelp.

A hand clamped down on my shoulder and I swallowed back a shriek. Nathan's expression was focused once more, if not a little grim as he eyed Cynthia's ghost. _What happened to him? _

"I've got this," he assured me, stepping from behind me. Crossing my arms, I tossed him a steady glare.

"Are you sure about that?" My words were more than a little critical and sharp; Nathan actually winced a bit. Without another syllable, Nathan approached Cynthia and she rose from the floor, as though accepting a challenge from him.

"Cynthia," Nathan spoke her name under his breath, but still I caught it. Nathan, I knew, would not be able to defeat Cynthia if he kept viewing her as the human she'd once been. _Kill or be killed, _I reminded myself.

"Nathan, this isn't Cynthia anymore. You need to let that part of her go," I urged him as he swung the axe back, ready to hit either a home run or completely strike out. "Nathan, let her go," I screeched when it looked like he would freeze again. This time, however, Nathan swung the axe and aimed it straight for Cynthia's head.

...

_Nathan _

Cynthia rose to full height and suddenly I wasn't sure I could do this. Those numbers were still there, the markings as black as tar but still eligible. _16121...Walter's sixteenth victim..._

_This isn't Cynthia anymore,_ Katy had advised me only moments before. Of course, she was right...but she hadn't seen her death, except for on a television screen. That kind of death was completely irrelevant and something that could easily be shaken off. It was different when you actually witnessed it, knowing you could not prevent it.

The ghost floated closer to me, those nails now knives that could tear my throat out and throw it to the ground in a gory heap. Those same nails had traced my face more than once, as light as a kitten's paw. Katy's tension radiated from her-if I didn't act soon, then she would. Hell, I'd probably never hear the end of it.

_Let her go, Nathan,_ she had said, but I couldn't. In my mind, I replayed her death again and again, torturing myself until I could barely breathe. How could such attractive, soft features be transformed into a snarling, horrific mess? _Let her go..._

Making my choice, I brought the axe forward without giving myself a chance to have second thoughts. The blade of the axe connected with Cynthia's head and there was a bone-chilling snap. The axe passed clean through and I nearly stumbled from the impact.

Cynthia's neck had broken and her head was hanging loosely over her back, the bones poking out from underneath her skin. With disgust, I watched as the ghost lifted her hands, placed one on either side of her head, and wrenched the head upwards and down, settling it back on her shoulders again. _That is not right, _I thought, grimacing at the sickening crack that had come as a result of the gruesome behavior.

"Oh, God," Katy murmured in horror as Cynthia, good as new as far as being a ghost was concerned, ventured towards us again. The Sword was still in Katy's hand and she started forward with it, only to be held back by my commanding hand.

"Not yet," I warned her. There was no way she'd get in close to Cynthia and survive to tell the tale. _She's not Cynthia anymore,_ I repeated in my head until I felt the weight of the truth. Again I plowed the axe through her head and again she yanked it up by her mane of hair.

"Nathan, the head thing really isn't working all that well," Katy pointed out in dismay. Cynthia's ghost bent and slid on her belly, circling us like a shark. Katy got in a few kicks to the ghost's side as it passed, but nothing seriously damaging.

As soon as the ghost came around again, I brought the axe down and halted the ghost's movements; the axe stuck inside her neck and pinning her down. _Got you, _I thought with a hint of pride at achieving something.

"Now," I gave the okay to Katy, who did not hesitate. Down came the point of the Sword, directly into Cynthia's back and forever keeping her in this world. A thick gurgling came as Cynthia wriggled on the ground, hopelessly trying to escape the Sword. "As I said, we make a good team," I said to Katy, who sent me a vengeful glare.

_Looks like I'm in trouble,_ I thought, gazing down at Cynthia's ghost instead of at Katy's piercing eyes. Something calm ensued in my nerves then; I could at last put the tragedy of Cynthia away, since I had managed to end her nightmare for good. _Just like I promised..._

_..._

**That's that for this chapter. Hopefully, the Room of Angel usage wasn't that bad. I simply had the idea of including Cynthia's death in here, since I didn't show it before. Let me know what you think (every review helps!). **

**Until next time, readers. **


	20. Fury and Regret

Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill 4. Katy and Nathan are mine, but that's it.

A/N: Wow, chapter 20 already. It's all thanks to you readers out there! Without your support, I'm not sure this story would have made it this far. So, enjoy this chapter, everyone. (=

**Chapter Twenty: Fury and Regret**

_Katy_

"What the hell was that about?" The words burst out of my mouth before I could stop them. My entire body was shaking with fury as I stared Nathan down. His gaze was downcast, focused only on the remains of Cynthia's ghost.

A part of me felt sympathy for his obvious difficulty in eliminating Cynthia while another part of me was secretly proud that he had eventually fought back. Still, I wasn't about the let this go. "You just…froze. If I hadn't been here, you'd have probably been dead by now," I continued, practically lecturing him on his mistake.

"I know that. It was my mistake. I'm sorry," he apologized without sounding as if he really meant it. What if we had been in a worse situation and Nathan had been killed, simply because he froze up during the fight?

"What if it had been Walter?" It was my worst thought: watching Nathan die by Walter's hands, leaving me to fend for myself. Not that I couldn't hold my own, but I didn't want to chance it.

"It wasn't," Nathan argued abruptly, his fists clenching at his sides in annoyance and impatience. What did _he_ have to be angry about? _I_ wasn't the one who left us both open and vulnerable. _The nerve of him, _I thought with a rush of anger.

"What if it was?" I persisted, willing him to look me in the eyes. Nathan's face was blank, but I could sense the unsettling ideas that lay hidden there. _Silent Hill…Silent Hill is doing this to him, _I realized, fully aware of the fact that the town was capable of stripping away a person's humanity, until there was nothing left except their weaknesses, fears, and dark nature.

"You know what, Katy? You don't understand. Sure, you've been through hell before and gave it all your best to survive…but you don't understand," Nathan said, jerking away from me. There was a wildness in the depths of his eyes, one that threatened to lash out. Still, I couldn't keep my mouth shut.

"Tell me, then. What is it you think I don't understand? You think I don't know how it feels to know you might be losing your sanity?"

"_No you don't know how it feels," _Nathan shouted, the brim of his anger overflowing, just as I feared it would. "You think you know everything because you've seen it before, but you don't know! You turn a blind eye to anything that might cause you to show the tiniest hint of emotion, Katy! You don't know how it feels to hold someone's life in your hands and then fail to keep them alive, to watch them suffer an agonizing death," Nathan ranted, each word a blow to my chest. "Kill or be killed…isn't that right, Katy?"

"Well, I—" Silence. Did I understand how he felt? After all, I had saved Vincent's life as well as Douglas'. But I had never experienced the sensation of trying my best to save someone and losing. Did I know how it felt?

"I…you're right, Nathan," I admitted, much to his disbelief. Clearly, he hadn't expected me to agree with his crazy harangue. "You're right. I saved a life, but I never lost one like Cynthia." _Or maybe I never tried that hard to save someone like that…I turn a blind eye, that's what Nathan said….could he be right? _

Nathan's fury seemed to escape him, his face becoming serene as he gazed at me. Did he feel regret over lashing out the way he did? _It isn't him; he isn't acting like himself anymore because of this nightmare, _I made the excuse for him.

"Yeah, well….lucky you," he retorted, somewhat sarcastically. "I never saved anyone." His words struck me and I shook my head. Nathan certainly wasn't giving himself the credit he deserved.

"You're wrong," I told him while he retrieved his axe from Cynthia's grisly, grimy neck. Nathan's eyes glared at me dangerously and suddenly his axe appeared to be more intimidating. A part of me knew he wouldn't use it against me, but the other part—the part with my common sense—was signaling a shrill warning for me to tread carefully.

"Excuse me?" Those two words held a message, a very dark one. _Careful, Katy, _I reasoned with myself and gulping uncertainly. _Silent Hill could turn the nicest men into ruthless monsters…_

"I said you're wrong," I bustled forward before I considered stopping while I was ahead. One of Nathan's eyebrows rose as he watched me curiously, waiting for my next words. "You saved me." With these three words, Nathan's darkness seemed to evaporate as realization struck him and he returned to his old self once more. I figured I liked this side of him—the easy-going, sensible side—much better. It occurred to me that somewhere in the back of my mind, I was starting to feel a headache coming on.

…..

_Nathan _

Katy and I progressed in awkward silence, both of us still thinking about my recent outburst. It had escalated so quickly; I wasn't even sure what came over me. It felt like I had been a spectator instead of the actual person running the show—what happened to me? _God, this place is getting to my head, _I thought, knowing I was a darker form of the person I had been before starting this hellish journey.

Despite my behavior, Katy still offered me a small nod of encouragement. How could she even stand to do that after the way I reacted towards her? It was irrational and rude and something she should hate me for. _Though, I don't want her to hate me, _I realized somewhere deep inside me.

"Sorry for…back there," I said, knowing that Katy would understand what I meant. Without glancing my way, she nodded, her mask as calm and controlled as always. What was she really thinking and feeling? Was she hurt underneath and simply choosing not to show it?

"Let's just…not talk about it," she suggested and I knew then that I had been right. My outburst had shaken her up, bothered her, but she feigned ignorance like an actress in a play.

"Right," I half-heartedly agreed as we descended into a deeper level of the subway through the turnstiles. Katy's hands were at her side, empty now—if we had taken the Sword of Obedience, Cynthia would have risen again. _And we wouldn't want that, _I thought.

Into the labyrinth of trains we went and I had to say that Katy kept up pretty well, even though her eyes were a little distant, like she was lost in thought. Was something else bothering her besides my outburst? I noticed her face was slightly strained, as though she were fighting off a migraine. It was the first time I was thankful there were only dim lights to lead us as I surveyed her. Was Katy feeling ill? Every time she caught me staring, she'd give me a serious look, translated to mean: _what are you staring at? _

It was eerily quiet now that Cynthia's ghost wasn't around to haunt us. I had no idea where the other ghosts were lurking, but I did not mind their absence. My paranoia was my greatest enemy now; every time I scanned the train cars, there was a heavy tension in the air and I expected something to jump out at me.

On one of the seats was a colorful metal box, which held a piece to the control panel at the front of the train. It was locked and unexpectedly heavy. With no current use to us, I passed by it with the intention of finding it again later. Katy, however, remained behind, reluctant to continue any further. Her eyes were now lucid and attentive, making me wonder what wheels were turning in her mind.

"I'll hold it," Katy offered, reaching her arms out for it. Instead of allowing it, I laid a hand over her arms to stop her from touching it.

"No, leave it," I ordered, a command she did not like judging by her sudden frown.

"But, it—"

"It'll slow us down, Katy. We'll only be coming back this way, anyway. Leave it," I repeated with finality. Katy actually listened to me—with an expression of longing, she let her arms drop to her sides again and hastened past the metal box. "Trust me; we'll come back for it," I promised.

"Yes, I'm sure we'll come back for it," Katy responded and it made me pause. The words that she did not say whispered across my mind: _yes, I trust you…_Did Katy intentionally avoid saying that or was I simply decoding hostility, a meaning that wasn't necessarily there? _Of course Katy trusts me…right? I'm her ally, not her enemy,_ I reminded myself.

_My outburst…what if that's what's causing her to put her guard up? Good going, Nathan…_These troubling notions skirted around my mind and would not let me be. Relief swept through me as we stepped onto the opposite platform, the red door mere feet away. All we had to do was head that way and we'd be out of here soon enough.

"Okay, Katy. Let's hurry before something bad…happens," my words trailed off as I realized I was talking to thin air. I was alone on the platform and Katy was gone.


	21. Possessed

**Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill or anything related to it. I only own Katy and Nathan. **

**A/N: I must say, I am currently experiencing a creative high this week...which is awesome! (= Seriously, I wrote for about five hours yesterday (and now my hand hurts...haha). Still, it's all for you guys! **

**Chapter Twenty One: Possessed**

_Nathan _

"Katy? Katy! Oh, God where the hell did you go?" The only answer I got was silence, which did not help whatsoever. It wasn't like I could go around showing off an old photo, saying "Have you seen this girl?"

_She was just here a moment ago! She couldn't have gone too far...think, Nathan. Think like Katy, _I urged myself, racking my brain for a solution. How was I supposed to think like Katy when she kept surprising me left and right?

It was Cynthia all over again. What if it had been Walter somehow, coming to rid the world of Katy like he wanted? Katy would've made some noise or commotion, wouldn't she? The same thing would've happened concerning a ghost...no, Katy must have left of her own accord, I concluded. But why? What would posess her to leave my side, the only other sane-or previously sane-human around?

_Think like Katy...think like Katy..._if Katy had left of her own free will, she would have assumed she could handle all obstacles that confronted her. Only something of grave importance would make her think it necessary to wander off alone, but what could be that important?

Pacing around the platform, I struggled to come up with an idea, some idea that would match Katy's pattern of thinking. All at once, it hit me like a bolt of lightning. All at once, I knew where Katy would be.

...

_Katy_

_It was this way, then a left here, then through to the next car...it has to be somewhere around here...there it is,_ I thought with a surge of satisfaction as I retraced my steps back to the metal box. It was strange; I just had a fleeting sense that something bad would happen to the box if I didn't return for it. _Get the box, get the box, _a small voice mentally shoved me forward.

My eyes were trained on that box like it was the crown jewel of all humanity; it was the only thing I saw before me. Walter could have slaughtered me then and I probably wouldn't have noticed. _Why...why am I acting this way? Just take the box, Katy._

Reaching my hands out, I lifted the metal box from the seat-it was a lot lighter than before, but how could that be? Honestly, it felt like some sharp stone in my lungs had disappeared as I held that box safely in my possession.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Nathan's voice startled me and the box slipped from my grasp, resulting in a thunderous impact against the floor. Instantly, I swooped down and claimed it once more before Nathan could lay his hands on it.

"Don't scare me like that! You're lucky that I wasn't armed with a weapon," I scolded him, clutching the box close to my chest. Nathan glared down at it like he wanted to destroy it with laser vision. _He's not going to touch it, _I vowed, slowly turning it away from him.

"_Me_ scare _you?_ You're the one who vanished on me! And you blame me for freezing up. At least it was better than disappearing off the face of the earth! For a minute, I thought I lost you," he protested, venting his frustrations.

"Thank you so much for caring. I'm fine," I insisted, stroking a finger along the cool edge of the box.

"I thought I told you we'd come back for that," Nathan started and I sighed. Why did he have to be difficult to reason with? Why couldn't he see how important this box was?

"I heard you...but I had a feeling something bad would happen to it. We have to take it," I practically pleaded with Nathan like a child begging for a new toy. Nathan regarded me skeptically-did he think I was crazy or something?

"A feeling? What, are you psychic now?" Nathan chuckled a little at that, but no sound escaped my lips. Instead, I curled a hand over the box, protecting it.

"I'm serious. Besides, I'm not leaving without it," I replied. Nathan seemed amused by my behavior, but who was he to judge? At least I wasn't unleashing a massive outburst or anything. "I'll carry it," I assured him. Nathan deeply considered the options, his face etched with troubling lines. With a curse under his breath, he finally relented.

"Okay, we can take it with us. Just don't start complaining about it later on," he warned me, eyeing me suspiciously. "Katy, what's up with you? You're acting...different," Nathan wondered. I shot him a pleasant smile.

"Please, you're one to talk. Why would I be acting any different? I think you're imagining it, Nathan." There was an odd expression on his face as he studied me; he appeared to be scrutinizing my eyes especially._ The windows to the soul..._Then, he spun around and led the way back to the platform.

...

_Katy _

"No running away this time," Nathan reminded me as he edged the red door open to reveal an equally red room. He held the door open and made a gesture for me to pass first. _He doesn't trust me...he thinks I'll run off again, _I thought with slight paranoia. Didn't Nathan trust me? "I hope you can climb ladders."

"Yes, I can...unlike Eileen," I said, noticing the rickety ladder in the corner. The other walls were blank, illuminated by some invisible red aura. It made me recall the haunting red light in the Borely Haunted Mansion...except this light didn't kill you upon contact. "You first," I offered, readjusting the metal box in my hands.

"_Ladies_ first," Nathan countered, smirking. No way was I letting go of this box. _Over his dead body, _a creepy image of Nathan dead on the floor with me standing over him, the box ready to be dropped onto his head, filled my mind and I gasped. "What is it?"

"Nothing, I'm fine," I hurriedly spat out. Where did that idea come from? Silent Hill sure knew how to mess with your head sometimes. "You go ahead of me and...I'll be right behind you," I explained.

"How will you carry the box down with you?" It was a good point-I was unsure of how I'd manage climbing and bringing along the box, but I'd figure it out. It couldn't be that difficult, right?

"I'll...manage," I stated, stepping aside so Nathan could descend the ladder first. Still, he stood in the same spot, watching me carefully. Rubbing a hand across his face, he moved closer, his hands lowering in the direction of the box. _What is he...?_

"Look, how about I go down first and you drop the box down to me?" His fingers nearly grazed the box and I let out a loud shriek that sent him reeling backwards as if he just touched a live wire.

"No! Don't touch it!" Nathan gaped at me as I cuddled the box close by my body. His eyes were as wide as saucers as he gazed down at me.

"What is wrong with you? You're acting...mental! Put that box down," he demanded, aiming for it. Shielding the box with my body, I whirled away from him before he could wrap his hands around it.

"No! You're not getting it," I snapped and nearly bit Nathan's hand as it appeared from behind me, desperately vying for the box. Nathan backed off and huffed at my ridculous behavior. _The box is safe...too important...what's wrong with me? _

"Alright...I'll go down first and just...just drop it down. Is that really so hard?" Nathan was seething, but he was trying to hide it. Some logical part of my brain listened to him and I reluctantly nodded.

"Okay, you first," I motioned to the ladder and, without complaint this time, Nathan clung to the rungs of the ladder and vanished from view. _It'd be so easy to escape out the door now, Katy...no, I said I wouldn't run this time and I won't, _I thought, fighting back that traitorous voice in the corner of my mind.

"Your turn. Hand me the box," Nathan called out from below, his voice echoing along the walls. For a second, I was tempted to keep hold of the box, but I stepped closer to the ladder.

Peering over the open space, I could see the outline of Nathan below. Slowly, I positioned the box in front of the hole and released it. "Damn!" Nathan exclaimed before a resounding crash reached my ears. "When I said hand me the box, I didn't mean drop it on my head, Katy!" Those dark images invaded my head again on the heels of Nathan's choice of words. _Nathan dead...the box on his head..._

"S-sorry," I stammered. Silent Hill was working its wonders on my sanity, but how much did I already lose? _Keep it together, Katy..._

Carefully, I grabbed onto the ladder and it actually swung to the side a little. After it became still again, I took one step at a time until I was close to Nathan's level; I jumped from the third rung and landed beside him. A sharp pain shot up my back and I winced lightly-I just hoped Nathan didn't notice my discomfort.

"Where's the box?" I almost yelled and Nathan held his hands up in surrender, pointing to somewhere off to the side. The box was lying on the ground-Nathan probably slid it over there with his shoe. Hastily, I took it into my embrace again. _It's okay now...the box is here in my arms...everything is okay._

Nathan gazed at me with amazement-why was he staring at my eyes so much? Was there something wrong with them? Turning, he led the way down a red hallway with sections of pipe that looked like an umbilical cord lining the edges.

The hallway opened up to a set of stairs and an escalator on an upper floor. Before stepping onto the escalator, Nathan glanced at me over his shoulder.

"Stay close behind me and don't let any of the monsters hit you," he advised me and I rolled my eyes defiantly. _Who does he think I am? Naive? _

"I know that. I've played the game, too, you know," I reminded him. Nathan didn't bother with a response; he simply walked onto the next moving step. Hesitantly, I followed suit, leaping onto the step directly after his.

Almost instantly, dozens of demon-like monsters stretched out from the walls, their long sharp fingers scrabbling for us. Nathan chopped away at some of them with the axe, guarding me with his body. One of the monsters pulled their hand back and sent it flying forward into Nathan before he could defend himself. Nathan toppled backwards into me and the box was ejected from my hands, tumbling down the escalator stairs.

"The box," I gasped and hurried down the stairs to retrieve it, ignoring the monsters that attempted to swipe at me on the way past. Nathan struggled to hit as many monsters as he could with the axe, but there were too many near him.

"Katy," he called for me, sounding urgent. The box was at the bottom of the escalator, having dropped the entire way. Kneeling, I grabbed it up and turned to survey Nathan's situation. "Katy, I'd appreciate a little help over here," he pleaded, one monster gripping his shirt and tearing it at the sleeve.

With the box in tow, I rushed up the stairs and swung the metal box against the first enemy I came in contact with. The demon slumped forward and was sucked back into the wall, another one taking its place soon after. For every one we got rid of, another appeared.

"It's no use," Nathan stated, slicing away at a monster while another tried to rip the axe from his hands. "There's too many and you don't have a weapon." My eyes fell to the box and I knew I couldn't risk losing it. _Maybe we should have left it behind...no, it was the right thing to do taking it with us, Katy..._

"What do you propose?" Our steps had not yet reached the top of the escalator-in fact, I couldn't even see the top. How long of a ride was this? _Long enough to get killed, _I realized, feeling the stiffness of Nathan crashing into my body. I could only imagine how he was feeling, having been slapped silly.

"Get to the top! Hurry," Nathan ordered me and I obeyed without argument. The both of spun and started up the escalator stairs. The monsters reached out for us, but we ducked and bent our heads as we rushed past them. It must have taken us twenty minutes-at least it felt that way-before we landed at the top, breathless from sprinting. "Let's never take the escalator again," Nathan suggested, rubbing his face where it was red and raw.

"Agreed." My lungs burned for oxygen as I swallowed the subway's dingy, musty air. This kind of environment couldn't be good for our health. With a hand at the crook of my elbow, Nathan guided us towards the second set of stairs, only halting when we'd found the upper level, where Cynthia was murdered.

Nathan's eyes grew dark as he inevitably glanced towards the office door, closed and hiding the horrible mess behind it. _Not again, _I thought with pity.

"You okay? Remember, the Cynthia you knew is gone," I consoled him before his behavior spiked up again. Nathan shook his head like he just woke up from a long sleep.

"Yeah...I'm going to check it out, see if there's anything...useful," he mumbled, making his way to the door. When I did the same, intending to follow, he held a hand out to stop me. "Why don't you stay here and stand guard? You know, in case anything dangerous shows up?" _Why doesn't he want me there with him? Does he think something bad will happen? _

"Okay," I replied, stationing myself outside the office door. Nathan slipped into the room-there was still tons of blood coating the walls and floor-and closed it behind him, as if he needed a moment of privacy. _Suit yourself, _I thought, gazing around. What was I supposed to do now?

Bored, I jiggled the lid of the box, hoping to pry it open. It stayed locked and refused to budge. Studying it, I saw it was a little rusted around the lock. How old was this thing?

_Katy..._The voice whispered across my mind and made me freeze. It was different than my internal sense; this was one I clearly recognized and loathed. That voice...it couldn't be...

Through the turnstiles, I noticed a dark figure standing off to the side. It was hard to see the face, but I already knew who it was. Part of me instinctively understood that I should warn Nathan, but no sound came from my throat. _It's him...he's here...Nathan, he's here..._

Walter approached the turnstiles and somehow, I was frozen in place. Was this how Nathan had felt when he froze up during our fight with Cynthia? My own words snidely scolded me: _what if it had been Walter? You just froze..._How ironic.

As soon as he came up to the turnstiles, a blinding pain shot through my skull and suddenly he was standing in front of me, a sickening grin plastered on his face. Those eyes were black as night as Walter eyed me with confidence. _He's here to kill me...why aren't I doing anything? _

_Katy...the box..._My eyes moved from Walter's face to the metal box in my hands. Without warning, an idea came into my head and it felt right for some reason. Carefully, I began to hand the box to Walter.

Why was I ever afraid of him? A thousand soft whispers in my head were telling me it was okay, that I was doing the right thing...All I had to do was give him the box and this nightmare would be over...it would all end here...

"Katy, no!"

...

**Oh, no...what will happen now? I hope it wasn't too confusing in this chapter, what with Katy's crazy behavior. See, Eileen is susceptible to slight possession in the game so I decided to incorporate some of that in here, since Katy has replaced Eileen. (= **

**I hope everyone enjoyed it! Until next time! **


	22. Twice Saved

Disclaimer: Silent Hill 4 is not mine; it belongs solely to Team Silent. Nathan and Katy, however, are definitely mine, along with my own copy of the game.

A/N: Do any of you know what it feels like to be drunk with creativity? Well, I do. These past few weeks all I want to do is WRITE. Of course, it's amazing for everyone reading my story because it means lots and lots of updating now (I should actually be working on my final, but...nah, I like fanfic better-I'll probably kick myself later for that).

I haven't said it recently, but thank you so much for the reviews. Without the readers, there wouldn't be a story. Drinks all around! (=

Chapter Twenty Two: Twice Saved

_Nathan _

Slipping into the office, I pushed aside the memories of the brutal events that took place last time I was there. It wasn't that easy-the blood had remained there as a reminder of Cynthia's death. Closing the door, I began my search for useful items, leaving Katy to stand guard outside. Was it safe to leave her out there alone? _Stop worrying, Nathan. Katy can handle herself,_ I thought, but still the anxiety was nagging at me.

Ever since Cynthia's ghost, Katy had been acting...strange. Every now and then, I would gaze into her eyes-those lovely eyes often full of determination-and see nothing in its depths. Nothing except a dreamy, vacant look. That, coupled with her rash behavior, was enough to bother me. What was wrong with her and that dreadful box?

Shoving those suspicions aside, I rummaged through the desk drawers, my fingers growing sticky with the old blood that contaminated the handles. Rubbing my hands on my jeans, I sifted through the contents-old papers, stubby pencils, an empty crushed pack of Marlboro cigarettes. There was nothing on the desk besides a stopped clock and a few more stained pages. _There has to be something in here..._

Moving to the center of the room, my shoe caused something to skid across the floor with a shrill, metallic sound. _What the...?_

Kneeling like I had when Cynthia was dying, I felt along the ground until my fingers touched a solid, cold object. It was a brass key with a faded tag attached to it, the words unreadable.

"Jackpot," I whispered, fingering the key delicately, as though making sure it was real and not some sick, twisted illusion. Absently, I pulled open the office door to report my good news to Katy. _This'll cheer her up, won't it? _

"Hey, Katy. Look what I just found," I exclaimed with a tiny bit of glee. Silence persued and I finally raised my head to catch her expression. My body halted as the scene before me unraveled: Katy with the box, holding it out to none other than...

_Walter, _his name was repulsive and bitter even inside my head. If he got ahold of that box, he'd make certain we never left this world. We'd be trapped.

"Katy, no!" The key forgotten, I rushed towards her, forcing her to the floor and knocking her unconscious in the process. _Smooth, Nathan..._

The box flew in the opposite direction, colliding against the gray cement ground. Walter's head snapped to where the box lay vulnerable and he started in its direction. _No, you don't, _I thought while leaping for him and sending a fist into his nose. _I knew we should have left that box alone..._

Walter recovered fairly quickly, his nose spurting blood. A stream of it trickled down to his lip, but Walter seemed as if he didn't mind in the least. _What does it take to hurt this guy? _Instantly, I rammed the axe into his chest, the blade stuck where his heart should be. _If he even had a heart, _I mused bitterly.

In slow motion, Walter paused to consider the axe in the middle of his chest, sticking out at an odd angle. For what seemed like forever, he stared thoughtfully at the axe, his dirty blonde hair falling across his face. Then, as if the axe wasn't even there, he started for me again. _Oh, come on...what now? _

My eyes found the metal box and an idea popped into my head. Ducking, I lifted the metal box and felt Walter rush forward. Before he reached me, I abruptly slammed the box against his skull, like Katy had done to one of the escalator monsters. In a similar way, Walter stumbled and crashed to the ground, inches from Katy's body.

Spots of red appeared on the side of Walter's head, mixing with his hair. In the next instant, Walter's body had drifted away like the fog present in Silent Hill. _Gone again. Good riddance...for now,_ I thought with a sigh of relief.

A gasp came from behind me and Katy's eyes flew open-they were crimson red and menacing. Dropping to her side, I struggled to calm her as she began to scream on the top of her lungs. Arms flailing, it was hard for me to restrain her. _We've progressed from _The Ring_ to _The Exorcist_...wonderful, _I couldn't help adding as I tried to pin her arms down.

"Quit fighting me, would you? Katy, it's me," I reasoned with her, but it was useless. For one thing, she was unable to hear me among her piercing screams and, second, she wasn't even concentrating on me. Her head was shifting from side to side and her eyes were rolling wildly in her sockets. _How am I supposed to help her when she's acting like this? _

Desperate, I did the only thing I could think of to get through to her. Steadying her head with both hands, I kissed her.

...

_Katy_

_Oh, God...what's happening to me? _One moment, I felt a sudden impact as Nathan collided with me, knocking me into unconsciousness. The next moment, my eyes shot open and it felt like someone was choking me slowly from the inside out, like someone was squeezing my heart painfully.

It was so hard to breathe...my lungs were on fire, my heart was hammering, and my throat was closing up and blocking any incoming air. My nails scraped depserately at the floor, my eyes felt like they'd fall out of my head. Shadows swam in my peripheral vision, closing in. _Please...make this stop...Nathan, where are you?_

Suddenly, a figure was looming over me and the life in my body was fading away. _Please don't let it be Walter...please don't let him kill me, _I begged, but all sound was nonexistant now. The figure crouched over me and placed a hand on either side of my head. _Oh, God...he's going to crush my head, isn't he? Like in those cheap horror movies..._

Shockingly, the figure dipped its head and there was the sensation of someone's lips on mine. In that moment, the pain and torment stopped and it was like the taste of heaven. The agony lifted away, leaving me with comfort and bliss. It was all being sucked away and I could finally breathe. _Thank you..._

When the kiss ended, I opened my eyes again and saw Nathan leaning over me, a quirky smile on his lips. It had been him-I owed him my life. For a long time, we stayed there gazing at each other without words.

"That's twice you saved my life," I told him, smiling. _If it weren't for him...what would I have done? _ "Okay, get off me," I shoved him to the side and got to my feet.

"At least you're eyes aren't red anymore. You were starting to scare me there, Katy," Nathan said, much to my disbelief. Did my...possession...affect me that much? _Oh, Katy...always getting yourself into trouble, aren't you? _

"My eyes were red?" Nathan laughed at my expression and claimed the metal box. Something else bothered me and I felt I could trust speaking about it to Nathan. "Why me?" Nathan studied me and understood what I meant. _Why did Walter choose me and not you? _

"Because...because you let your guard down. When I had my outburst, you let your guard down and showed emotion...You were vulnerable. Walter must have been waiting for the right moment to get to you," he explained solemnly, a sad look in his eyes. "I'm sorry."

"For the outburst? I don't blame you for that, Nathan. Silent Hill-" Nathan waved off my words impatiently. What else could he be sorry for?

"Not that. I'm sorry I said...I said that you turned a blind eye to anything that made you feel emotions. You do feel emotions, you just hide them better than me," Nathan stated, stepping a little closer to me. He was being hesitant, like he thought I might break into pieces if he came too close. _This changes things, doesn't it? We're no longer just allies, _I realized. Did I want us to be just allies?

"It doesn't matter," I replied, giving him a wide smile. Nathan seemed doubtful as he took up his axe. "Thank you for saving me again." As Nathan juggled the box with the axe, I hurried and grabbed the box from him to ease his load.

"No problem. What the hell would I do without you?" Nathan sounded like he was joking, but I knew it was his way of making a serious point. Something warm and light rose inside me and I knew there was no way I'd ever be able to pay Nathan back for all he'd done.

All of a sudden, his eyes lit up brightly and he scurried for some object on the ground. "Oh! I found this in the office. I meant to tell you, but then Walter..." He didn't need to say any more for me to understand.

In his palm was a key, which he gently inserted into the rusted lock of the metal box. The lid sprung open and there was the piece that connected to the train, allowing us to progress further into this nightmare. Nathan gingerly picked it up and slipped it into his pocket, his expression daring me to protest. _No more possessions, _I vowed silently. _Walter isn't going to win this battle. I won't allow it. _


	23. Guilt

**Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill 4. The characters, places, events, etc. are not mine, but Nathan and Katy are mine. **

**A/N: Hello, all! Okay, so this is kind of a long chapter (maybe my longest one so far). Still, I think you'll find it interesting. Enjoy! **

**Chapter Twenty Three: Guilt **

_**Katy**_

The subway train was not far from the escalator. Nathan insisted that he be the one to hold the control piece, earning him a glare from me. He made up the excuse that he had more pockets than I did, but I knew he was still wary about me possibly being possessed. _I feel fine now...it's not like I'm going to break the thing,_ I complained inside my head. _At least we're almost out of here. I swear, I am never using the subway again!_

The idea of Walter kept crossing my mind, much to my distaste, since I was putting great effort into shoving those thoughts aside. What if he did try to possess me again? It was even difficult to trust my own mind and that was scary; it was a sensation that had been familiar to me last time as well. _He'd better stay the hell out of my head or he'll really get it next time..._

"It's quiet now. I wonder if that's a bad thing," Nathan suddenly said as we stepped onto the escalator. It hadn't occurred to me while I was lost in my thoughts, but Nathan was right. There were no monsters stretching out of the wall to slap us, no grumbling noises whatsoever. Where had all the monsters gone? Not that I was seriously regretting it at all.

"I don't know. It's too quiet. It feels like something bad is going to happen," I noted, weighing the tension in the air. It was heavy and smothering me-I hated it. Brown eyes guarded, Nathan gripped the axe in his hands like he was ready to face an entire army of creatures.

My mind suddenly flashed to the moment where Nathan had kissed me; I think I was still in shock from it all. How was I supposed to feel about that? It had only been a few hours ago that I had met him. One of my fingers lightly touched my lips, as if I could preserve the kiss there. How could someone like Nathan like me with all the horrors I'd seen, horrors that were distinctly written in my eyes? _If I let him in, I'll just get hurt, won't I? _

The level below had been gruesomely transformed since last we'd been there. The umbilical cord was now twice as huge and wrapped around the room at least three times. Multiple bodies lay twisted in our path, the blood seeping from underneath them. Their eyes were filmy, their mouths gaping in frozen horror and pain. Many of them were piereced with sharp, spiky objects, their limbs and ligaments torn into fragments. There was a rusty stench in the air, clogging my nose.

"What the hell happened here?" My eyes strayed from the pile of bodies to the splattered blood on the subway walls. Nathan frowned and shrugged carelessly.

"Walter happened here. Apparently he's a tiny bit angry," he commented before making a beeline for the subway train. In that other nightmare, I had seen blood and gore before, but this was death in its cruelest form. These corpses seemed like they had been tortured and for what reason? _He's trying to get to us, _I realized before turning my emotions off, ignoring the sights in front of me. It was easier this way.

My head began to pound again and I saw movement beside me. Nathan was already at the train's open door, peeking into it for signs of danger. As I lingered behind, I observed the lifeless bodies, which were now rising and detaching from the spikes that previously held them down. _Oh..great..._

"Umm, Nathan?" My voice was tense, my eyes glued to the floating bodies. Suddenly I understood that my bad feeling had been right-this was a trap. _Ghosts, _I thought with an inward groan. _Walter's past victims._

"We're almost there," Nathan absently consoled me, unaware of the ghostly figures that were even now reaching for us. Slowly, I backed away towards Nathan until I bumped into him. It was just unfortunate that it was impossible to use a Sword of Obedience on more than one ghost. _Damn it, Cynthia! Why? _

"Nathan, ghosts," I told him, willing him to turn around. Nathan was about to step into the train and paused, clearly puzzled by my words. The ghosts closed in, their mouths open in silent screams and their eyes rolling in their pale heads.

"Katy, there are no...ghosts..." Finally, Nathan had turned in my direction and had seen the army that he had appeared prepared for. _Are you prepared now? _I wanted to ask him, since _he_ was the one holding the axe. There had to be at least ten ghosts circling us; there was no way we'd be able to fend them off in such a large number. A dull throb had started right behind my eyes and my hand flew to my forehead. _Please don't let it happen again...please let me get through this..._

"Stay with me, Katy," Nathan mumbled, having noticed my weakness. Was he afraid I'd become possessed again? "Get in the train," he ordered, guiding me with his hand. In an instant, we were inside and rushing down the aisle of the car. The deadly moans of the ghosts followed us as they swarmed after us. My legs ached as I pumped them.

Nathan reached the end of the car first and jammed the handle into its proper place; I simply prayed that it worked. The army of ghosts flooded the train car, inching closer and closer...what was Nathan waiting for?

"Which button is it to start this thing?" There were a number of buttons and pulling the handle did not help at all. I attempted to split my attention between the approaching ghosts and the control panel, but my eyes stayed glued to the current threat.

"Do I look like I could drive a train? Just press something," I called back to him. As the ghosts cem within five feet, I spun and grabbed the axe from Nathan. If I was going to be standing on the frontlines, I'd have to have something to defend myself with. _Oh, God, help me...there's too many, but I'll try my best!_

Suddenly there was a soft clicking noise and the train lurched forward, sending the ghosts rocking against the sides of the car. Some even fell through the windows and vanished. The train moved for about thirty seconds before the nearest door slid open, revealing a narrow hallway. The remaining ghosts lifted into the air once again and charged-if floating in slow motion constitued as "charging."

Nathan led me by the wrist and slammed the train door behind us. It wouldn't keep the ghosts from following, but it would slow them down a great deal. Perhaps they would give up altogether. _Yeah, right, Katy. Wishful thinking, _I thought as we descended a long staircase and emerged onto a thin platform.

A door with the Order's symbol lay straight ahead-the exit to the world. _Thank God for that. Except now the chase really begins,_ I realized, knowing Walter would chase us from world to world, brandishing a series of weapons to kill us with.

"Looks like the ghosts are gone," I said, breaking the quiet. Until then, I hadn't realized how hard I was breathing, my lungs aching for proper air as we raced towards the door. Nathan edged open the door and offered to step through first. _Now he's being a gentleman, _I thought with slight appreciation. Was he reliving that moment-I did not feel ready to refer to the kiss personally-in his head just as I was?

"Next stop: the Forest World," Nathan announced with a half-grin. His fingers were still resting on my arm; they felt warm and eased my anxiety a bit. The axe was still tightly locked in my hands and I awkwardly started to hand it back to him. Surprisingly, he shook his head. "You hold onto it for awhile. I don't think you need me saving your life at every turn," he said. A thousand words passed through my head and I chose a handful of them.

"So, what? You expect me to save yours now?" It had been a while since I heard a teasing tone in my voice, but it was there. Nathan gazed down at me and his smile grew wider. Why did this nightmare have to go on so long? Was this really just a dream?

"I'm counting on it," he replied before stepping over the threshold and leaving the Subway World behind for good. _That makes one of us..._

...

_Nathan_

The Circle was a bit darker this time, the fog heavier and colder as it drifted around us. Bits of ash floated down from the sky like snow; it brought Jasper to my mind, his body enflamed like a human torch. We'd have to find another Sword of Obedience soon.

Beside me, Katy was tense and avoiding eye contact with me-she'd been doing it since the moment she'd recovered from her possession. _Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to kiss her, _I thought, squirming uncomfortably inside. Why had I thought it was a good idea? Did I actually believe she'd accept it?

Down, down, down we went, traveling in a neverending spiral. Deteriorated walls lined the edge of the Circle, blood tainted the steps. The further we progressed, the more gruesome it became. In the distance, a body was hanging down from a tower, the legs dangling.

"So what did you do to wake up in Silent Hill, anyway?" Katy's soft voice broke through my concentration and I stared at her in surprise. _Of all the questions to ask, why that one? _That was the question I had anticipated, but also the one I feared the most.

In my head, flashbacks of that awful night played like a movie until I wanted to break them into pieces. _The fight...the car accident...It wasn't my fault..._

"Nothing. I did absolutely nothing," I said, forcing the memory out of my head. _Her_ name made an attempt to surface, but I would not think it.

"Liar," Katy retorted sharply, making me pause with my foot hanging above the next step. It came down harder than I meant it to, but Katy did not wince or show that she had noticed it. Why did she feel the need to challenge everything and everyone around her? "You had to do something to make Silent Hill suck you in."

"Really? What did you do, then? Kill someone?" It was ludicrous that Katy would willingly kill a human being-she only managed to kill those creatures because she had to, in order to ensure her survival. Still, my emotions were a waterfall, bursting out of me before my brain could control them.

"Yeah, sure I did," Katy replied, rolling her eyes at me. "No. Someone once told me that curiosity is a sin. Maybe I just became curious about the wrong thing." Katy's eyes grew a little distant while mentioning this. Who was she talking about? A Silent Hill character?

_She_ was still haunting my mind. As I gazed at Katy, I decided that she appeared similar to her, only Katy had brown hair instead of golden blonde. There were other differences, too: _she_ had been weak, always leaning on others, while Katy refused to do just that. Is that why I decided to kiss her? _Trying to get a second chance, Nathan? _

Katy's focus snapped back like it had never wandered and she was scrutinizing me intently. A piece of her dark hair fell over one of her eyes and I wondered if she would mind me sweeping it away. What the hell was I thinking? I didn't even know this girl; she was simply someone that was forced to endure the same nightmare.

"You never answered my question. This time, try a bit of the truth," she advised, crossing her arms. Katy was good at figuring out when someone was lying; it was clear in the way she watched my every movement, waiting for some kind of change. _Tell her, Nathan. Get it over with...it'll be good for both of you. _

Sighing, I lowered my body onto one of the steps and buried my hands in my hair as I struggled for the words I wanted. There was so much to tell and so much of it I wanted to avoid thinking about entirely.

"Her name was Lily. She was to be my wife, but we never made it to the wedding," I started, breaking the barrier that kept those memories out. All at once, Lily's face-it felt strange to use her name after so long-was swimming in front of my vision, her blue eyes bright and her golden hair swinging in the wind. Her mouth was open in the middle of a laugh, what I imagined to be the best sound in the world when we met. _Lily...Lily..._

"Why not? Did she leave you?" Katy took the space next to me and placed the axe on her lap, unexpectedly immersed in my tale. Why did she have to remind me of Lily? It made the story all the harder to tell.

"She...died. In a car accident two years ago," I explained vaguely. Memories continued to flood my mind until I could barely take it, my hands clenching at my sides. _The police at my door...Lily dead...the funeral..._

"Then it wasn't your fault. It was an accident. Nathan, you can't blame yourself for something like that," Katy was telling me, though I barely heard her. All my concentration was focused on that night, almost as if I were reliving the event. _Lily dead..._

"She was cheating on me with some other guy. Our relationship was already growing strained anyway, though I loved her more than anything else in my life. She came to me one night, shortly before the wedding. She was guilty about lying to me. More than that, she said she was pregnant," the words flowed out easily and nothing I could do would stop them. Katy laid a hand on my arm, her face sympathetic as she gazed hard at me.

"And...then what?" Katy's voice was low. Was she afraid to hear my answer? Even if she was, Katy was excellent at hiding her fears._Lily's face...smiling...no more..._

"And then I drove her to her death."

...

_It was nearly midnight. There was a knock at the door and my gut told me who it was on the other side. It was Lily, dressed in an overcoat and high heels, looking forlorn. Judging by the heavy curls of her hair, I'd say she just rolled out of bed...something I did not want to imagine. Masking my anger, I pretended that nothing was wrong, allowing her to lead the way. _

_ "I wasn't expecting you so late," I said, leaning against the doorframe with a condescending smile on my face. It was only two weeks to the wedding and already we showed signs of failure. How could Lily do this to me now, when I loved her so much? Lily remained in the hall, hands buried in her pockets, eyes downcast. _A tad guilty, are we, Lils?

_ "I know. I wanted to see you. I...have something important to say." Lily grew quiet-Lily, who was normally so talkative, a natural chatterbox. For a second, her blue eyes met mine. What was she waiting for? _

_ "Well? What's so important?" Lily sucked in a breath and cringed a little at my bluntness. Her light hair hid her face as she stared at her scuffed black high heels. High heels, on a rainy night like this? _Oh, Lils, you've got to do better than that. Did you think I hadn't noticed?

_ "I...I haven't been entirely honest with you, Nathan," she began, shoulders slumping forward. _Really? _I thought sarcastically. "I've...I've met this guy..." Was she kidding? That was how she chose to tell me? _

_ "You're cheating, Lily," I spat out angrily, nixing the little nickname. Her cheeks grew pink as she blushed with embarrassment and shame. Water pooled inside her deep blue eyes, giving them the illusion of precious jewels. "Why?" If anything, I had a right to know. _

_ "It just...happened. That's not all. I'm pregnant," she revealed, extending a hand to her lower abdomen protectively. That was something I did not know. It took me by surprise, causing me to stumble away from the doorframe. Lily took an involuntary step backwards. _

_ "Is it mine? Or his?" There was no way her "lover's" name was slipping out of my mouth. Lily let a few tears drop from her eyes, sliding down to her chin. The hand that was on her abdomen was shaking visibly. _

_ "I think...his. I'm so sorry, Nathan. I meant to tell you sooner..." _

_ "Before or after we walked down the aisle, Lils?" There was that nickname again-even now, when I was fuming at her more than I should, I still loved her enough. Was she in love with this other guy? _

_ "Why do you have to be so insensitive?" That did it. All the anger, all the hurt poured out and suddenly I was inches from her face. Lily's eyes flew open wide and she pressed a hand to her throat in shock. _

_ "Insensitive? You want to talk insensitive? You're the one who's sneaking around, Lily! Maybe you don't care about the outcome of it all, but I do!" I was only slightly aware of my voice rising until I was practically shouting at her. Lily's lower lip quivered and more tears threatened to fall. Lily's gaze dropped and I gripped her shoulders, forcing her to look at me. "Don't you dare avoid this, Lily! You know what? I hope you're happy, Lily. I hope the both of you are very happy." _

_ With that, I slammed the door of my apartment and shut her out for good. Lily pounded on the door, her voice breaking as she sobbed openly. Sliding to the ground, I hid my face in my hands and almost ripped my hair out. How could she? _

_ "Nathan! Please, Nathan! I'm sorry! He was using me...he doesn't want the child at all! Please...tell me you still love me!" Her words failed to effect me, or at least I managed to block them out. _No, _I thought furiously. _I don't love you, Lily. No more.

_ Rising from the ground, I directly headed for the fridge, planning to drown the hurt in alcohol, until Lily left...or at least until her voice quit haunting my mind. I'm not sorry..._

_ That night was the last time I would ever see her alive again. And to this day, it was the worst mistake of my life. Lily..._

_..._

**Phew...long chapter, huh? I just wanted to give Nathan some more background there. (= On to the Forest World...and the chase begins! Isn't it so annoying having to run from Walter all the time? /= **

**So, I have an idea for the next chapter or so, but I am unsure if I really want to do it. How would you (readers) feel about a potential SH character cameo soon? I won't tell you who I'm thinking of (you can try to guess), but right now I'm thinking I'd like to have a cameo. Maybe. What do you guys think? **

**Again, reviews are awesome (thanks, readers, for giving me such good support!) and loved. (= **


	24. Through The Forest

**Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill or anything related to it. I only own Katy and Nathan. **

**A/N: Hey, there! First off, i'd like to thank those that are reading this; it means a lot to me! Second, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. At the end, I might include a cameo of a Silent Hill character (we shall see). It's just for fun, really. (= Enjoy!**

**To one of my reviewers: yeah, I know I'm updating like CRAZY! It's mainly because I have (finally) finished with finals and have more time for writing! Awesome, isn't it? **

**Chapter Twenty Four: Through the Forest**

_Nathan_

Silence. Tension. Guilt. All of these and more hung in the air after the telling of my story. Katy sat still beside me, lost in thought. What was she thinking? The only thing on my mind was Lily. _Lily dead...both Lily and the child dead..._

"It wasn't your fault," Katy finally stated, her hand remaining on my arm for comfort. Part of me wanted to shake it off, but a greater part liked the feeling of it there. _Comfort. She's offering me comfort. _

"Lily...she drove off a bridge. I don't know whether it was deliberate. Her and her unborn child...neither one made it, of course," I went on, playing that event over and over again. Why was I torturing myself? _My fault..._"If I hadn't had that fight with her...if I had just listened..."

"Nathan, _she_ was the one who cheated. _She _was the one who lied and the one who drove off that night. If she drove off the bridge on purpose, then that was her choice," Katy insisted. _She's right, isn't she? Then why do I feel like it's my fault? _

"And what about me?" My eyes stayed locked on one of the chalky steps of the Circle; I wasn't ready yet to look Katy in the eyes. It wasn't that I feared her expression-Katy sounded comforting at the moment-I was simply afraid she'd be too accepting of me, too willing to forget about this revelation of mine.

In my peripheral vision, I watched Katy stand and I could sense her gaze on me like a star glowing brightly over my head.

"You were the one who gave her all you could. You were the one that tried and the one that cared." Holding out a hand, Katy helped me to my feet and smiled. "Now let's keep going, shall we?"

It was then that I really noticed the difference between Katy and Lily. Lily had been good at comforting others, but she could not undo the damage she had dealt me that night. In the matter of a few minutes, Katy-who was an expert at masking her emotions at the best of times-had did what Lily could not. For that, I was grateful.

...

_Katy_

I did not like the Forest World whatsoever. It was damp, dark, and held who knew what in its woodsy clutches. Screeching noises erupted from the shadows-they sounded like owls, but I could bet they were something far worse. Invisible eyes were watching us, always watching.

We were in the cemetery, with less than thirty graves around us. Most of the names were scratched and faded, completely illegible. Lit torches created orange glows against the marble stones.

"Grab a torch," I ordered Nathan, motioning my head to the closest one. Nodding, he stepped up and took it, holding the end in the fire just to make sure it was burning well. _Gasoline. There's gasoline in his apartment, _I remembered, but I did not want him to leave just yet. _There's strength in numbers, isn't there? _

"Check this out," Nathan called as he examined a couple of the graves. There was an amused expression on his face-what did he find now? Approaching, I faced the grave that he was pointing to and read it: _Angela Orosco_. A chill slid down my back, all the way down to my feet. It reminded me of the graves in Silent Hill 2.

"Here's another one," I said, reading another grave with Eddie's name on it. What were these graves doing here? Or were they just to spook us? _James Sunderland...Claudia Wolf...Dahlia Gillespie..._And then the graves got even scarier, the ones we could make out anyway. _Cynthia Velasquez...Jasper Gein...Andrew DeSalvo..._

Neither of them sat well with me; I almost expected to see my own name on one of the graves. Nathan was standing beside an open grave, a coffin left abandoned inside it. In dried blood, numbers were written on the white marble stone above it: 11121.

"This is _his_ grave," Nathan whispered in awe. The eleventh victim...Walter himself, freed from the bonds of his human flesh. Anxiously, I glanced around, expecting Walter to show up right then just because we had discovered his grave.

"Enough of this. It's pointless." Hastily, I started for the door, hoping Nathan would get the hint. The longer we stayed, the faster Walter caught up.

"Katy...I think you might want to see these last two graves," he called me back. Something in his voice made me pause...he sounded nervous and almost afraid. Spooked, definitely. _Do I want to know? Or is it better if I ignore it? _"Katy," he said again, more urgently.

Sighing, I turned and decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. Nathan was perched before two small graves, these ones looking fairly new. That horrible twisting in my stomach began and I was suddenly praying I wouldn't find my worst fears.

As I walked up behind him, the names were enlightened by the glow of Nathan's torch and my insides became hollow and nonexistent. _Oh, God, no...I spoke too soon..._

Carved in the marble were two names. _Katherine Williams. Nathan Avery. _

"Time to go," I uttered, rushing to the door. Nathan stared at the names for a moment longer and then followed, rubbing his hand across his forehead like he had a headache. I would too if this were my first experience with death. For me, it was akin to the sensation of Death itself gripping my heart and soul. _Walter isn't intending for us to escape this place..._

As soon as were outside the boundaries of the cemetery, Nathan gestured to a well. It stood off to the side of the dirt path, shrouded in darkness. Both of us recalled why it was necessary: the parts we needed to progress.

"We'll need those pieces. There's five of them, right?" I nodded in answer, thinking. Five parts, five areas of the Forest. Five chances for Walter to hunt us down. We'd have to be fast, as quick as we could move.

Just then, the door behind us creaked and both of us tensed up. Nathan's back was facing me, away from the cemetery door. The hairs on the back of my neck rose in response to the change in atmosphere. _It's him...he's here..._

"Katy...please tell me you just closed the door," Nathan asked, but it was too late. Whirling around, I struck with the axe, but Walter saw it coming, knocking it away from my hands.

Striding forward, Walter took hold of my hair in his fist and struggled with me until he was grasping me around the throat, with me facing Nathan. The cold sensation of steel pressed against my temple: a gun. Nathan's eyes remained guarded, but I knew he must be fearing for me. One pull of the trigger and that was it. My heart thumped inside my chest.

"Why're you going after her first? Why not me? I'm a bigger threat than she is," Nathan argued with Walter, though I understood that his intention was to buy me time. _Bigger threat, huh? Watch this!_

Freeing my arms, I sunk my elbow into Walter's stomach, forcing him to bend forward and releasing the air in his lungs. My fingers reached his eyes and my nails dug in, gouging them out.

Walter's body shook violently before I removed my hands from his face, blood trickling over the nails. _Serves you right for underestimating me, Walter, _I thought as his body slumped forward to meet the cold ground. Just like in the subway, it vanished within seconds; briefly, Walter had been defeated.

"You really know how to handle yourself, don't you?" Nathan appeared impressed by my actions and I shrugged.

"If I'm going to die, I might as well take a part of him with me, right?" Searching along the ground, I found the axe and smoothed my palm over the wooden handle. "The well," I reminded Nathan.

Since he had the torch, I was the one who used the rope attached to the well to bring up whatever was down there. My fingers burned from pulling, but eventually the leg of a doll came into view. Nathan leaned over and untangled it from the rope.

"One down, four to go, I think," he said, already sounding pleased. Flinging it across his shoulder, he carried it like he would a jacket. Shaking my head in amusement, I kept up the pace with Nathan, all the way to the Hope House.

...

_Katy_

The Hope House was an old orphanage controlled by the Order, which did not cheer up the situation at all. It contained a wide ground inside four walls, the small house in the center. The walls were painted with bright colors, showing off butterflies, clouds, suns, and other things to make the children believe this place might be tolerable. _Poor kids...what they must have gone through in this place, _I thought. It was the Order, so I could only imagine the horrors within.

Scattered around the yard were various toys and objects, left behind by forgotten children. What was Walter's life here like? After all, it had been the place where he had first succumbed to the mumbo jumbo of the Order's religion.

As Nathan and I wandered, my foot kicked a discarded bottle. Bending forward, I scanned the wrapper: chocolate milk. _Jasper..._

"I suppose Jasper enjoyed his chocolate milk?" Nathan followed my eyes and saw the bottle. Unlike Cynthia, Nathan's expression was blank and emotionless. Did he try to save Jasper as well? Or did he stop trying after Cynthia?

"Yeah, he loved the stuff. Whatever works, right?" Nathan wandered towards the door of the Hope House and then it struck me, the thing I found odd when first stepping into this yard.

"Nathan...why is Hope House still standing? It was supposed to burn," I commented, recalling Jasper's fiery death. There wasn't even signs of the death that had taken place there.

"Before I witnessed Jasper's death, I filled a pail with water. I put the fire out before he died," he explained. _Ah, so he still made an effort, _I thought, feeling my respect for Nathan shoot up a bit more. "We should check it out, just in case there's anything in there."

Nathan was already mounting the stairs, his hand on the doorknob. Quickly, I followed suit and the two of us entered Hope House.

It was dim inside, not to mention a complete chaotic mess. Tables were overturned and broken in half, chairs were lopsided on the ground, papers whispered along the floor. Many of them were drawings, done by children.

"Ughh...that smell," I said, covering my nose. It was the foulest stench in the world: the smell of burnt flesh. Nathan scrunched up his nose, but did not make a show of getting disgusted over it. My eyes watered and bile burned my throat, and then..."Oh, God," I moaned as I tossed up whatever was in my stomach, which wasn't much.

"No big deal," Nathan mumbled, stroking my back to help me get through the nausea. When it passed, I wiped at my mouth and leaned against one of the walls for support. Nathan spotted the room where Jasper died and started off in that direction. _Have fun, _I thought about calling out to him.

The stairs to the childrens' bedrooms were behind me and the sound of light footsteps descended. My nerves went into overdrive as I imagined Walter, coming back for round two. Opening my mouth, I was about to shout for Nathan, when the person spoke, silencing me in an unexpected way. _Oh, hell no...anyone but you..._

"Hiya, Katherine. Long time no see."

...

**There you have it. It's shorter than the last chapter, but then again the last chapter was incredibly long. So, can you guess the character that will be making a cameo? It's only for fun, just to spice the next chapter up a bit (you know, add in something interesting). That's all. (= **

**If you know who the character is, then you should know the next chapter will be...amusing, at least. I'm not giving anything away until then. Remember to review and tell me your thoughts! **


	25. No Choice

**Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill. Its characters, places, and events do not belong to me. However, Katy and Nathan are mine. **

**A/N: Hehe, I'm actually watching Silent Hill while writing this. Thanks again to those that are reading this. Now, let's get this party started. (= **

**Chapter Twenty Five: No Choice**

_Katy_

"Hiya, Katherine. Long time no see." That voice was all too familiar. I didn't even have to turn around to know who it was. _Oh, please, no...I don't have the mind or patience to deal with this now,_ I thought, hoping I was imagining his presence.

Slowly, I turned and realized that it was true. Vincent was standing only a few feet away, regular attire and all, looking as smug as ever while he studied me. An open book was resting in his hands and he firmly snapped it closed.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Vincent was the last person I expected to see, but at least he was better than Walter. Vincent took a couple steps towards me, an amused smirk on his face.

"You don't sound very happy to see me. There was a fire here, at the Hope House. I simply came to...investigate," he explained. "Is he a friend of yours?" At first, Vincent's question confused me until I noticed he was mostly looking at something past me.

Nathan was standing there, having emerged from the room of Jasper's demise. His eyes were examining Vincent with curiosity. A Sword of Obedience was clutched in his hand.

"Vincent," Nathan mumbled, almost in awe that this character happened to show up. My body froze as I realized that Nathan had just made a crucial mistake. Vincent had heard Nathan quite clearly and was gazing at him with intense interest. _Oh, Nathan. Of all the people to slip in front of..._

"How is it you know my name?" Vincent's eyes became dark as he questioned Nathan suspiciously. Nathan must have understood his untimely slip-up, for his expression became grim. _Think of something, quick! _

"Katy has mentioned you once or twice," Nathan said, gesturing to me. Vincent's eyes returned to me, or one of them anyway. A wide grin had surfaced, making me more than a little uneasy.

"Oh, she has?" Defiantly, I crossed my arms and glared at him. _Why had I ever thought it was a good idea to save him? _

"Don't get your hopes up. It wasn't that good," I told him, but his smugness remained. "I suppose you can't do anything to help us? It's bad enough that Walter Sullivan is trying to kill me." This I mostly mentioned more to myself than Vincent.

"Walter Sullivan is trying to kill you?" Vincent drew out each word, as though in disbelief. Nathan watched me steadily, his guard up. Clearly, he wasn't too fond of Vincent, either.

Sighing, I faced Nathan and lifted my shirt to reveal the deep, bloody numbers carved into my back. A tingling sensation shot up my spine as Vincent lightly traced the numbers on my back.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Katherine," Vincent said, his voice all too close for my comfort. Jumping back, I lowered my shirt again and hid those wretched numbers. Nathan stepped forward and laid a hand on my shoulder, his gaze never leaving Vincent.

"Katy, we need to move. There's only so much time before Walter appears again. Plus, this torch can only last so long...it's already dying," he pointed out.

The light of the torch was growing dimmer as the fire weakened. There was no way we'd be able to venture through the entire Forest with such little flame. _Gasoline...we need the gasoline..._

An idea popped into my head and I studied Vincent, wondering if it would work as well as I hoped it would. The axe felt heavy in my hands, but it was also comforting. I calculated my thoughts in my head and knew it was the only way.

"Nathan, there's a hole right outside this house," I said to him, hinting at my intentions. Nathan shifted his focus to me, obviously confused for a second.

"What do you mean, there's a h-" Recognition sparked in his eyes and he suddenly caught on. "No, absolutely not. I am not leaving you out of my sight, not when Walter is so hellbent on making those numbers on your back a reality."

"It might be the only chance you have to soak that torch in gasoline. We'll need it," I retorted. Vincent watched us with rising amusement as he pretended to flip through the pages of that book.

"Katy, you're insane if you think I'm leaving you alone." Nathan was being difficult, but I didn't blame him. Who knew where Walter would show up next to strike us down? _This will be the hardest part to sell, but we have no choice, do we? _

"Technically...I won't be alone," I gradually insisted, motioning to Vincent. Even he seemed speechless by my insinuation. Nathan looked from me to Vincent and back again, his mouth agape in surprise.

"You might as well be for all the good he'll do you," Nathan shot back crossly, narrowing his eyes at Vincent. Gripping the axe, I held it up to Nathan.

"I am fully capable of handling myself. Besides, Walter never shows up here, only in the most isolated parts of the forest." Nathan seemed like he was struggling with the choice of leaving me or not. Running his fingers through his hair, he frowned at the dying flame of the torch. _You see? I'm right about this,_ I thought, sensing him caving in to my logic.

The air was tense as I waited for Nathan's decision. Vincent was staring at him intently, as though ready to challenge his actions. Striding forward, Vincent placed an arm around my shoulders and leaned in close.

"Don't worry. Katy and I are old friends, aren't we? It'll be perfectly fine," Vincent assured Nathan as I shoved Vincent's arm off me. Sighing, Nathan nodded once.

"Katy, I'll be no more than ten or fifteen minutes, alright?" Again, I showed him the axe, meaning to use it if it was necessary. Nathan's eyes paused on Vincent-he still did not trust him to keep me safe. "If I come back and find her dead, I will kill you myself," Nathan vowed, nearly pushing the fiery torch in Vincent's face.

Nathan backed off and moved to the door of the Hope House. With one last glance of longing at me, he forced the door open and disappeared into the night, leaving me alone with Vincent. _Ten or fifteen minutes...please hurry, Nathan. _

_..._

_Nathan_

It was a bad idea to leave Katy with Vincent, of all people. Deep inside me, I sensed it was a msitake, that something bad was going to happen. Many times I wanted to turn around and dash back into Hope House and deal with the dying torch the best we could. _What if I come back and she's gone? What if Walter finds her? _

Silence greeted me outside, the shadows dancing along the yard. Not even a rustle of leaves or birds could be heard. Each door remained closed, blocking off the other parts of the forest. _Is he watching me? Does he know we'll b separated? _

Just as Katy described, the hole was located right alongside the house, in the middle of one of the childishly painted walls. Red symbols were entwined around the outside of the hole and there was nothing but black inside. _Katy's right, though. We need gasoline...there's no choice, _I thought as I climbed inside the hole, preparing to return to the apartment.

_Katy, I'll be back for you. I won't let Walter kill you. I promise. _

_..._

**So, how did you guys enjoy that Vincent cameo? I decided to throw him in there for fun and he won't be around for very long as Katy and Nathan continue their journey...**

**Will something bad happen to Katy? Will there be something waiting for Nathan in his apartment? You'll have to wait and see...I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. (= Until next time!**


	26. Wicked Way to Burn

**Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill or anything involved with it. The only things I own are Katy and Nathan. **

**A/N: **_**Wow. Okay. So it's been…months since I last updated. I have no clue how that honestly happened, except for the fact that I've become hopelessly hooked on Once Upon a Time and have been writing countless stories and one-shots for that archive alone. **_

_**So, for starters: I want to apologize for being gone from this story for so long. Let's see if I can pick it back up again. My greatest apologies, readers. **_

**Chapter Twenty Six: Wicked Way to Burn**

_Nathan_

Everything was hazy as I slowly awoke in my bed, the ceiling fan spinning lazily above me. Touching a hand to my forehead, I recalled my reason for coming back. _Ten, fifteen minutes tops. _

Scrambling off the bed, I dashed out of the room with the unlit torch in my hand. The air in the living room was heavy and thick-something in the apartment was haunted. As I neared the kitchen, the sound of static pierced my ears. The television was turned on, gray snow splashed on the screen.

Opening the chest next to the television, I reached for a Holy Candle and lit it with a match, setting it down before the television. Gradually the candle drained away until it melted completely. The flame died out and the television snapped off, leaving nothing but silence in the apartment. _Stupid ghosts...how many more hauntings do I have to put up with? _

A knock at the door made me jump slightly and my body tensed up as I predicted who would be standing on the other side. It certainly wouldn't be a pizza guy. Crossing to the chained door, I peeked through the viewer.

Walter was standing in the hallway, the bloody handprints decorating the wall behind him. All he chose to do was stare at the viewer through the greasy strands of his hair-stare at _me_-as though he sensed that I was watching. A smile was present on his face and his eyes were dark and unreadable.

Then, Walter slowly turned and stepped out of view. _Katy..._

Did Walter know that the two of us were temporarily separated? Was he about to take advantage of it, to go after her?

Shifting the torch in my hand, I burst into the storage room and immediately found the tank of gasoline next to the dryer. It was half-full, but it would do. Dipping the end of the torch into the liquid, I coated it with enough gasoline to last us a while. _Might as well get as much as I can because I'm not coming back for seconds, _I thought as I imagined Walter tracking Katy down.

Satisfied with the torch, I did not think twice about starting to crawl through the hole to return to the Forest World and Katy. Before I could disappear through it, however, there was a crash from the other room. I paused, my eyes trained back on the door.

Walter couldn't enter my apartment…could he? No, he never did before the ending. Why change course now? Why come after me and not Katy?

I knew I should have ignored it and entered the hole. But my curiosity was peaked to the point where it was an itch I had to scratch. If it was another haunting, might as well get rid of it now.

Climbing back out of the hole, I left the storage room and immediately located the problem. The ceiling fan had crashed down onto the coffee table in the living room. I remembered that happening once in the game. _That's it? It was just the fan. Nothing serious. _

A dry laugh escaped my throat. _Stupid ceiling fan. I'm getting worked up over nothing. _

I turned to re-enter the storage room, but my feet froze in place. Stretching beyond the storage room, tendrils hanging off its body, was a ghost. It pried itself away from the door and reached out for me. _Thanks, Walter. I should have known you'd do something to distract me. I should have just crawled into the hole. _

Instinctively, I backed up before I heard another wet moaning behind me. Spinning, I saw another ghost protruding from the wall. Another followed close behind it, its mouth hanging open in a silent scream. _Oh…damn._

The ghosts floated toward me and all I could do was back away, trying hopelessly to keep them all in my line of sight. Madly I waved the torch in front of them to keep them away. My legs hit the edge of the coffee table and I fell back, landing right next to the shattered ceiling fan. The ghosts loomed over me, reaching their hands out for me.

I was surrounded.

...

_Katy_

It was uncomfortably silent as I waited for Nathan to return. Vincent pretended to scan the pages of that book he was holding, but I knew he was watching my every move. _Of all the people I had to be stuck with, it had to be him, _I thought, though I was somewhat grateful for the company. _At least he's better than Walter, _I kept repeating in my head.

"So, Katherine…whatcha been up to since dear old Claudia met her gruesome end?"

Vincent tossed the book away onto an old table. His voice was dripping with enthusiasm and it made my stomach curl to know he found so much interest in Claudia's demise. Plus, I didn't like him prying. Was he trying to kindly distract me? Or was he seeking some information to hold over my head?

The closer he stepped forward, the more I drew away towards the other end of Hope House. I only hesitated because the acrid smell of Jasper's remains was downright horrible. _I suppose it's too much to hope that this place has air freshener, right? _

"I…I moved into a new apartment. I've eaten Chinese food. I've broken my cell phone and bought a new one. And life goes on," I muttered over my shoulder.

I weighed the axe in my hand—holding it gave me comfort. My eyes kept straying to the door, as if Walter was about to burst in at any moment. Sweat rolled over my eyebrow. _God, it's hot in here. And there are no windows? How was this place even allowed to stay standing? Is everyone in this town a mental case? Great; I'm Heather again. _

"And here you are," Vincent stated. I noticed his voice was wandering closer to me and I turned to keep him in sight. Some things never changed—like Vincent's creepiness. I swear I could still feel his touch on my scars. That smug curl of his lips gave me chills.

"And…here I am," I agreed flatly. The floorboards creaked and I wondered if this was a safe place after all. What if the building collapsed over our heads? But going outside meant walking into Walter's crosshairs. _I'll risk being smothered by broken boards. _

Time dragged on and I hated that there wasn't a clock. Had it already been ten minutes? Or just two?

"You wouldn't happen to have the time, would you?" I searched for signs of a watch on Vincent's wrist, but of course there wasn't one. He rolled the cuffs of his shirt, just to prove it. He fixed his glasses on his nose, his eyes rolling unsteadily in their sockets.

"Aw, are you worried your boyfriend won't make it back in time?" By the way his tongue rolled over the word 'boyfriend', he might as well be picturing me as some type of prostitute. I exhaled vehemently.

"He's not my boyfriend," I argued, just as one of the stairs creaked. Immediately, I swung the axe in front of me. Could Walter get in through a window or something upstairs? No, of course not. The only way in was the entrance door. Right? _Calm down, Katy. Think rationally. Walter's not here. He's a chicken who's afraid to step foot near Hope House. _

Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to egg him on. With all the crap Walter pulled off, he might as well be a mind reader.

Vincent chuckled at my tense behavior. Slowly, I pivoted the axe so it was aimed for his face. It only made him laugh harder.

"I must say. You are the most amusing woman I've ever met. Don't worry, Katherine. If your boyfriend dies, I'll take care of you." Vincent crossed his heart with a finger. I stared at him. _Okay, officially reached ultimate creepiness. _

Perturbed, I wandered away toward the door that led to where Jasper's body was huddled in a burnt, smoldering heap. The smell was far better than Vincent's disturbing leering. I definitely didn't want to take a look in his head right now.

Edging the door open, my head spun as the stench crawled up my nose. And there he was; sitting in a wheelchair with his body slouched forward and heat still rising off him. His skin was black like burned toast, his face was a marred, unrecognizable mess. _Poor Jasper. All he wanted was some chocolate milk. _

God, that smell was really strong. It was almost like…like…like the fire was still burning. Something was wrong.

"Katy," Vincent called me from the main room, sounding oddly alarmed. It was the first time he'd used my shortened name. Something was definitely wrong.

Backing out of Jasper's room, I found Vincent with his nose scrunched like mine against the smell. Black smoke started to drift through the air.

"You smell that, too, right?" Vincent removed his glasses to try and clear them from the smoke, but it was no use. He began coughing right before I felt the smoke clog my own lungs. Refusing to let go of the axe, I kneeled on the ground, seeking unpolluted air.

"What the hell is going on? What's on fire?" My head was cloudy like the smoke. I couldn't think straight, I couldn't _breathe. _Where the hell was Nathan?

I don't know if Vincent ever answered me, because right then my ears picked up something else. The crackle of flames licking away at the walls. My heart began to pound as I realized what was happening. _Walter. _

Walter knew where we were hiding out, in the Hope House. He also knew he wasn't willing to step foot inside to catch us. So Walter was doing the only thing he could think of to ensure that we would leave our sanctuary.

Walter was burning the Hope House to the ground.

…

_**Dun, dun, dun! **_

_**Again, sorry for being so incredibly late with this story. Cookies for everyone for the trouble of reading this. By the way, I appreciate the reviews. **_

_**Also, has anyone played Homecoming, Origins, or Downpour yet? And if you have, are they any good? **_


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